This report highlights young people who have experienced homelessness face extra challenges compared with those who have stable housing. They were more likely than their peers who hadn’t experienced homelessness to suffer from a mental health condition, experience loneliness, struggle to fit in socially, face financial hardship and have strained or poor family relationships. It presents recommendations to prevent and respond to the issue. 

Key recommendations

• Instigate a $500 million Homelessness Prevention Transformation Fund, delivering targeted prevention programs and policy reform for groups of young people with elevated or immediate risk of homelessness
• Increase youth housing options in social housing and private rental, including:
  Develop and maintain a national pool of at least 15,000 dedicated social housing youth tenancies
• Construct ten 40-unit Youth Foyers over the next three years
• Support youth tenancies through early intervention tenancy support programs
  Increase income support and improve rental subsidies
• Screen early for homelessness risk through schools
• Rebuild family relationships and households if safe, including by expanding the Reconnect program
• Implement more crisis support and accommodation responses for young people that are adequately-funded, person-centred and located according to demand