This article argues that the Australian government needs to adopt a more sophisticated approach to addressing social problems such as homelessness, by investing in early intervention programs and more supportive social housing services.

The costs to the Australia economy of health services associated with young people experiencing homelessness is an average of $8,505 per person per year or $355 million across all young people aged 15-24 accessing Specialist Homelessness Services. This is $6,744.00 per person per year more than for long-term unemployed youth (another key group of disadvantaged...

Executive summary According to the 2011 Census, some 44,000 children and young people in Australia are homeless. The reality is worse; many others are ‘hidden homeless’ who are not counted in the official statistics.

Developed by the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Hanover Welfare Services (now Launch Housing), with funding from the Victorian Government, Education First Youth Foyers represent a new model and practice approach to working with young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The opportunities presented by the National Affordable Housing Agreement propelled the SA Homelessness Strategy Unit into implementing a range of reforms that built on existing strengths of the specialist homelessness services sector. As a major contribution to homelessness service system reform, SA took the decisive step of considering accompanying children as clients of specialist homelessness...