For 25 year old Ari the last five years have presented a lot of challenges.
“I was 20 when I started experiencing homelessness, but I’d been sort of feeling unsafe in a family home environment for a while. At that moment there’s no other option.” he shares during a chat with OUTinPerth.
“My mental health was pretty bad at the time, and it was seriously like, this is the only option that’s left.
Ari is certainly not alone as a young person suddenly finding themselves with nowhere to live. New data has revealed the dire state of youth homelessness services, with half of young people seeking refuge in 2023-24 being turned away due to lack of capacity.
Young people under the age of 24 represent nearly 40% of the total homeless population and experts in the area are constantly calling for more government support.
YFoundations, New South Wales peak body for tackling youth homelessness, represents over 50 organisations in the sector and builds links between non-government bodies, government departments and the wider community.
They highLight that children and young people experiencing homelessness have different needs to adults that need to be provided for. Placing them into adult services does not cater to these specific needs and can leave them exposed to unsafe environments.
They argue that its essential that the adultification of young people is removed and governments fund the services that effectively respond to their experience of homelessness.
Ari had to leave his family home when he came out as transgender
Ari says navigating the support systems that aim to help people experiencing homelessness was a unique challenge. The first hurdle in the process is reaching out and asking for help, but even after you do that, there’s still many challenges ahead.
“It’s trying to find somewhere that actually has availability to take you.” Ari said. “I was lucky to have the foresight to be able to sort of plan my exit. I knew what services were available when I was having to call and go into temporary accommodation.
For Ari, his challenges began when he shared with his family that he was transgender.
“The home environment pretty much immediately became not a safe one, and of course that took a toll on my mental health.”
Asked what most people don’t understand about the challenge of homelessness, Ari shares that people are often thrust into an unfamiliar world where they have to navigate many different services.
“You really have to become your own best advocate. You really have to keep calling places and making sure you don’t go unheard, because otherwise it’s so easy to fall through the cracks. Especially as a young person, it’s really, really difficult.”
Ari says while he faced many challenges, he recognises that his situation was not as complex as many other peoples.
“I’m a caseworker dream in that I don’t have kids, I don’t have pets, I don’t have any legal issues, I don’t have any substance issues, but it’s still an incredible challenge to get through the system.
By sharing his story Ari recognises he’s helping break down barriers and remove stigma surrounding homelessness, and he really wants to challenge people’s perceptions of what housing challenges look like, and realise that couch surfing and people not have long term secure accommodation is all part of the realm of accommodation challenges.
“One in two young people that are trying to go to services are turned away because of that availability. We need help. We need advocacy, we need funding.”
Ari says when he got a really great case worker it made a huge difference to his life.
“Someone on your side, who’s advocating for you, and taking some of that burden off you is like so important. Especially as a young person, where you just don’t know what connections are out there, and what services are out there. Having someone in your corner is so crucial to actually getting any sort of good outcome in the process.”
While Ari’s been able to have accommodation for the last few years he’s also facing new challenges as he’s about to age out of the service that’s been providing the support. Unable to work fulltime due to a disability, he’s one the list for priority housing, but as he says “so are several thousand other people”.
One simple task people can undertake to make a difference is joining the calls for a better response to the challenges facing young people. Ari suggests people consider putting their name to YFoundations petition that calls for a national plan of action, or call your local MPs and ask them about the issue.
Josh Burns takes on the role special envoy for social housing and homelessness
The federal government has acknowledged that for too long the housing system has been stacked against young people.
The federal government has appointed Josh Burns to serve as a special envoy for social housing and homelessness.
After his appointment was announced, Burns spoke to The Guardian had said while housing was a challenge for many Australian’s it was essential that the government dedicate some of the social housing that is being developed specifically to young people.
One of the biggest challenges young people face in accessing community housing providers is that their rate of rent is often based on a calculation based on their accessible income. As younger people on Youth Allowance get less money those on Job Seeker payments, it means older tenants can be more desirable.
The need for specific housing and transition services for young people is something YFoundations CEO John MacMillan highlighted in a recent interview with TimeOut magazine.
“Community housing broadly is set up to respond to the needs of adults in need of a place to live, but children and young people need so much more than a roof over their heads. When you’re a 16-18 year old, even up to 23 year old, you need support from people who care about you to help you develop the skills needed to live independently.”
“The kinds of housing models we’re advocating for – medium term and transitional housing models – include the support component,” MacMillan said.
“The simple fact is, when a young person gets the support that they need when they experience homelessness, they can go on to escape the cycle and not return to homelessness. The reverse of that is also true: the statistics show that 50 per cent of street sleepers – the people we generally think of when we hear the term ‘homeless – began their homelessness experience as a young person or as a child. Support is a form of early intervention – if you don’t get those services that you need early on, then the crisis becomes more entrenched.” he said.
Many in the sector are hoping Burns appointment to his new role will be a catalyst for change, given his longstanding advocacy on the issues.
Wendy Hayhurst, CEO of the Community Housing Industry Association, welcomed his appointment saying it showed the Albanese government was taking the issue seriously.
“Mr Burns brings tremendous expertise and enthusiasm to this critical new role. As co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Housing, he has consistently demonstrated his commitment to addressing the severe shortage of social housing and finding effective solutions to homelessness.”
“This appointment sends a clear signal that the government recognises social housing and homelessness require dedicated attention and focused policy responses. It acknowledges that these issues are central to solving Australia’s broader housing challenges.” Hayhurst said.
“With homelessness continuing to rise and waiting lists for social housing growing ever longer, we need a coordinated and ambitious approach. These appointments suggest the government is serious about providing homes for our most vulnerable citizens.”
