An urgent plea has been issued to stop tens of thousands of Australian children and young adults falling into a life of homelessness, as new data reveals the extent of the housing crisis.
An estimated 120,000 Australians do not have a home and nearly 46,000 are children or young adults aged up to 24 years, according to nonprofit Kids Under Cover.
More than 80 per cent of young people who sought help from specialist homeless services in 2022-23 were not accompanied by a parent or guardian, a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed.
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Those figures are most likely an underestimate given children around the ages of 10-14 years are unlikely to approach those services, Kids Under Cover said.
The charity is using Homeless Week, starting Saturday, to call on state and federal governments to pump money into programs that will steer young people away from an adulthood spent without a home.
More investment is needed to support youth most at risk of entering a long-term cycle of homelessness, the charity’s chief executive Stephen Nash said.
“At least half of the adults you see sleeping rough today first experienced homelessness when they were young,” Mr Nash said.
“Co-ordinated provision of housing and support has been effectively ending homelessness for individuals for some time.
“The key to ending homelessness at a societal level is preventing people from entering the cycle to begin with. There needs to be a far greater focus on identifying risk factors and reaching the right people early.”
It comes as this week’s inflation numbers revealed even those with homes are finding it harder to pay mortgages or rent, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers conceding housing is a “defining issue” for the economy as an election approaches.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese installed Clare O’Neil as housing and homelessness minister in a cabinet reshuffle in July, replacing Julie Collins in the key portfolio leading up to the 2025 election.
Housing pressures are even affecting those recently involved with the market, as an Infotrack survey revealed three-quarters of people who bought or sold in the last 12 months encountered challenges.
The biggest issues were price and finding a home, according to the company’s head of property Australia Lee Bailie.
Affordability impacted families with children the most, while couples aged 30-49 were the group most likely to purchase their home.
“Interestingly, only two-thirds of respondents cited interest rates as a major factor influencing their decision-making process,” Bailie said.
“Only 40 per cent of first home buyers said they were negatively affected by rates.”