The snapshot represents, on a given day in 2024, the reality faced by young people accessing Melbourne City Mission's homelessness programs and in particular their intersecting experiences of family violence, mental health, and persistent homelessness. Selected macro-economic data is included to create a better understanding of economic context and government spending across these three areas.

The report provides insights and analyses of data provided by over 1,700 government-funded agencies delivering homelessness services. The data offer a unique opportunity to expand upon existing qualitative studies on homelessness that, while rich in depth (being based on interviews, questionnaires, or case notes), are often based on relatively small sample sizes or timeframes.

The extent of homelessness for children in Australia represents a shocking failure of public policy. In 2022-23, more than 76,000 children sought help from homelessness services almost –16,000 of them alone, and many fleeing domestic violence, abuse or neglect. This snapshot report makes clear the need for urgent action.

This report highlights young people who have experienced homelessness face extra challenges compared with those who have stable housing. They were more to suffer from a mental health condition, experience loneliness, struggle to fit in socially, face financial hardship and have strained or poor family relationships. The report presents recommendations to prevent and respond to...

This report finds marginalised children were unfairly targeted by COVID-19 fines at the height of the pandemic, highlighting the need for immediate reform of the New South Wales fines system.