Jackson Hills’ Post

🌟 Today marks Youth Homelessness Matters Day in Australia, a pivotal moment to shine a light on a pressing issue that affects thousands of young lives across our nation. 🌟 It's crucial to recognise that homelessness isn't just about not having a roof over one’s head. It's about lacking the security, stability, and sense of belonging that every child and young person deserves. The absence of these fundamental needs can have lasting impacts on education, mental and physical health, and future opportunities. Creating more housing for children and young people who find themselves homeless is not just a matter of social justice; it's an investment in the future of our society. Safe and stable housing is the first step towards empowerment, enabling our youth to pursue education, employment, and personal development free from uncertainty and instability. By now, you might have come across Home time campaign. A coalition of over 100 organisations, including homelessness services, peaks, housing providers, unions and others launched home times campaign. That calls on the government to unlock Australia’s housing system for 16-24-year-olds who are homeless and unable to access housing. Let's pledge to be part of the solution by supporting the Hometime campaign. Because every child and young person deserves a place to call home, a place to grow, and a chance to thrive. 💡✨ Link : https://lnkd.in/gp7GFuJU #YouthHomelessnessMatters #EndYouthHomelessness #HomeTime Homelessness Australia (HA) Council To Homeless Persons Melbourne City Mission (MCM) Harriet Shing Kids Under Cover The Foyer Foundation Yfoundations Homelessness NSW Shorna Moore Ben Vasiliou Morgan Cataldo Conor Pall Douschka Dobson Sandhya Jadunundun Associate Professor Jess Heerde Keith Waters Kealey Nutt Stephen Nash Trish Connolly Dom Rowe Wayne Merritt Sally Capp AO City of MelbourneKatie Hooper Zoë Robinson Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing Vicki Sutton Lisa Dalla-Zuanna Di McDonald David Rennick Sally Lasslett Youth Projects Ltd Youth Affairs Council Victoria

Every young person deserves safe, stable and accessible housing as a foundation for a pathway to prosperity. We know that in the formative years of childhood, adverse experiences such as poverty, domestic and family violence and homelessness can significantly impact a child’s opportunities, and that lack of material safety can represent a significant challenge to a young person’s hopes and aspirations.   Last week, PeakCare CEO Tom Allsop spoke to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Capricornia on our election platform on youth homelessness in Queensland following a call by state peak bodies, including PeakCare Queensland, Q Shelter, Open Doors Youth Service Inc. 🏳️🌈, Brisbane Youth Service, Footprints Community, YFS Ltd and Mission Australia, to prioritise system and service integration to prevent young people from exiting care into homelessness.   This week, PeakCare commenced our state election platform call in the weeks leading up to governmental caretaker mode.   A key cornerstone to our election priorities is for all political parties to commit to developing a Housing First approach to underscore access to essential services. Ensuring safe, secure, and stable housing for young people and families is a means to intervene early and break the cycle of disadvantage before it starts. Investing in initiatives to break down structural barriers to accessing services will help protect children from long term negative outcomes, and will in turn generate net lifetime savings to government by reducing expenditure on welfare and support services into the future.   Evidence shows that specialist youth homelessness services can for example create tangible taxation uplifts, welfare, housing, justice and health savings, and generate net lifetime benefits for each young person helped onto a pathway to prosperity by reducing the need to respond to impacts of homelessness. Recent research from UQ shows that in the Queensland context, this can result in potential savings of over $13,000 per young person per year.   The evidence is clear – Housing First when delivering services to Queensland’s children and families.   We call on all political parties in Queensland to commit to tangible targets to house young people, underscored by a Housing First approach that establishes safe, stable and accessible housing as the foundation of hope for young people and families who need it most.   View our election commitments 👉 https://lnkd.in/gy3REhMe Read The Courier Mail article (paywall) 👉 https://lnkd.in/gxmb7S5a PeakCare Queensland Steven Miles David Crisafulli MP #MichaelBerkmanMP #RobbieKatterMP Charis Mullen MP Amanda Camm Di Farmer #LauraGerberMP #MeganScanlonMP #TimManderMP Tom Allsop Kate Bjur Gayle Walters Murray Benton Jackson Hills Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) #queensland #child #protection #youth #homelessness #evidence #election #platform #peakcare #advocacy #yourpeak

ADDRESSING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS: CatholicCare’s plans to support young people on the Central Coast Member CatholicCare Diocese Of Broken Bay has plans to deliver a 57-bed Youth Foyer in Wyong, one of ten new Youth Foyers slated by The Foyer Foundation over the next three years. Foyers offer integrated learning and accommodation for young people aged 16-24 years who are at risk or experiencing homelessness. Wyong faces significant socio-economic challenges, with only 68% of young people completing Year 12. Youth-specific housing solutions are critical, as young people on the Central Coast currently wait an average of 19.4 months for housing, disrupting their education and career prospects. This Youth Foyer is part of CatholicCare’s broader efforts to address housing and homelessness on the Central Coast, complementing services like Mary Mac’s Place, KEYS young parents’ homelessness service, and transitional accommodation with casework support. By providing dedicated housing and support, CatholicCare aims to positively impact young lives, helping them complete their education and start successful careers. This project not only addresses immediate housing needs but also invests in the long-term potential of the region’s youth, fostering a brighter future for the entire community. The Foyer Foundation is seeking federal funding to build ten new Foyers to help 3,500 more young people. Members Mission Australia and Uniting NSW.ACT are already supporting young people through this proven model. #youthhomelessness #housingcrisis #CentralCoast

Today is Youth Homelessness Matters Day (YHMD), a national awareness day established in 1990 to raise awareness and spark discussions about child and youth homelessness. Over the years, YHMD has evolved to not only highlight the challenges but also celebrate the resilience of young people facing homelessness, while advocating for sustainable solutions to this continuing problem. This YHMD, AYAC is re-sharing our recent awareness video, supporting Home Time, a national advocacy campaign—comprising over 75 organisations including AYAC—seeking urgent action to unlock Australia’s housing system for children and young people. Recent data from homelessness services has shown that almost 40,000 children and young people aged between 15 and 24 years old are alone with nowhere to live each night. Young people experiencing homelessness often lose their homes and family support early in life due to extreme life events and trauma, and First Nations, LGBTIQ+, culturally diverse, and disabled young people are disproportionately impacted. Australia’s current housing system is structurally incapable of delivering enough safe homes and appropriate support for under 25 year-olds. The Home Time Action Plan seeks to unlock Australia’s housing system for young people through urgent action on three key policy reforms: 1. Develop and maintain a national pool of 15,000 dedicated youth tenancies for 16-24 year olds; 2. Provide linked support services so young people can pursue their goals and transition to independence; 3. Address the rental gap to ensure viability for housing providers and landlords offering tenancies to young people who have been homeless. Implementing these recommendations would establish 15,000 dedicated tenancies for young people across the country, with linked support services and financial support for housing providers. Ending youth homelessness demands a nation-wide, coordinated and youth-specific response. This is why we are also supporting Yfoundations and its whole-of-government and community approach to end child and youth homelessness through calling on the federal government to develop a standalone National Child and Youth Homelessness and Housing Plan. You can support these two leading campaigns driving for change below: Take action through the Home Time National Campaign and its strategy to unlock Australia’s housing system for young people: https://lnkd.in/dMBM47R6 Sign the YFoundations petition calling on the federal government to develop a standalone National Child and Youth Homelessness and Housing Plan: https://lnkd.in/eXkyzz_E #YHMD24 #FixHousingForYoungPeople #HomeTime #youthhomelessness #auspol

Leading the engagement file for defining the five-year vision of the City of Toronto to ensure individuals experiencing homelessness have access to temporary accommodation when needed, along with wrap-around, housing-focused supports to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring, is something I find both humbling and fulfilling 📝 Conducting consultations with homelessness advocacy groups, academics, food banks, disability advocates, health partners, Violence Against Women sector leaders, provincial government representatives, Indigenous advocacy platforms, and other stakeholders brings immense value to this work. Toronto Shelter and Support Services is currently developing its 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, which will serve as a roadmap for supporting individuals experiencing homelessness. This plan will focus on improving homelessness prevention and diversion, expanding pathways to housing, and ensuring comprehensive supports for those within the shelter system. Addressing homelessness in a big city like Toronto is as complex as it gets, but I am hopeful that the input we receive from stakeholders will guide us toward designing a strategy that can improve the lives of the most vulnerable in society. #canada #toronto #homelessness #publicpolicy

Youth Homelessness Issue 🏠 Hailey's story highlights the urgent issue of youth homelessness. Imagine being Hailey at 16, facing eviction and spending over a year couch-surfing and living in a caravan. Her story mirrors the reality of 11,744 children on Western Australia's public housing waitlist as of June 2023. Nationally, nearly one-quarter of those experiencing homelessness are aged between 12 and 24. These children and young people are extremely vulnerable and face educational disruption. More Insights : 📅 In 2021, at least 2,058 WA children and young people were homeless. 🏠 During 2021–22, 6,802 children and young people aged zero to 17 presented at WA specialist homelessness services, with the majority under 10 years old. 👪 Family and domestic violence remains the leading cause for youth needing housing and homelessness assistance. These data show us the urgency of action for children and young people like Hailey. (source: Profile of Children and Young People in WA 2024, 👉 https://bit.ly/3kqdF2W Let's unite to raise awareness and take decisive action to support vulnerable youth across Western Australia. Read ABC article 👉 https://bit.ly/3zlZJBM #YouthHomelessness #SocialImpact #EducationMatters #CommunitySupport #HousingCrisis #Advocacy

Youth homelessness is a growing concern in Queensland, with recent reports highlighting a disturbing increase in the number of young people facing housing instability. As featured in the Courier Mail article, "Desperate plea after jump in youth homelessness in QLD," social services are urgently calling for more support to address this escalating issue. In FY23-24, YFS's specialist homelessness services supported 540 young people in need. At YFS, we recognise the urgency of this crisis and the need for both immediate and long-term solutions. Youth homelessness often stems from complex factors such as family breakdown, unemployment, mental health challenges, and domestic violence. Many young people find themselves without a safe place to call home, making them vulnerable to exploitation, crime, and the long-lasting impacts of poverty. This troubling rise in homelessness requires collective action. YFS is committed to providing vital services, including safe accommodation, access to healthcare, education and employment pathways, and tailored programs that help re-engage young people with their communities. However, we cannot tackle this issue alone. Addressing youth homelessness requires a coordinated effort from government agencies, non-profits, local businesses, and the broader community. As highlighted in the Courier Mail article, service providers are struggling to meet demand. Without a significant increase in funding and resources, many young people will continue to fall through the cracks. The growing number of homeless youth in Queensland is not just a statistic—it’s a call to action. At YFS, we are proud to work alongside partners like PeakCare Queensland, Q Shelter, Open Doors Youth Service, Brisbane Youth Service, Footprints Community and Mission Australia But to make a lasting difference, we urgently need more support. Now, more than ever, is the time for action. Together, we can help end youth homelessness in Queensland and work towards a future where every young person has a safe and secure place to call home. #YFS #YouthHomelessness #QLD #SupportTheYouth #CommunityAction #HomelessnessAwareness

Today marks the beginning of Homelessness Week (August 5 - 11). In Australia there are more than 122,494 people experiencing homelessness (ABS Census 2021). Homelessness Week aims to raise awareness of the impact of homelessness in Australia. The theme for Homelessness Week 2024 is “Homelessness Action Now”. Individuals and families across Australia are struggling to choose between putting food on the table or paying the rent due to the increase in the cost of living. Evolve Housing believes that prioritising investment in social and affordable housing will give Community Housing Providers the ability to prevent individuals and families from falling into housing stress. Our purpose is to enable more people in need to live in quality homes. We have and will always continue to serve our community by delivering safe, secure and stable housing for those most in need. We recognise our responsibility in supplying fit-for-purpose housing, with the aim of increasing housing supply to match the ever-present need of Australian households facing housing stress. Evolve Housing calls for more housing affordability and greater investments in social and affordable housing to help those most in need. By working together, we can break the cycle of homelessness and pave the way to a brighter future for all.

On any given day, at least 35,000 people in NSW are homeless. But homelessness is solvable. And listening to and following the guidance of people with lived experiences of homelessness is critical to finding long-term solutions. StreetCare, the lived experience advisory group we support, is regularly sought out by government, housing providers and frontline agencies for that guidance. Over the past year, StreetCare has protected the rights of people who are homeless or needing housing support and made practical improvements in their lives, including by: - advising the ABS on how to better include people experiencing homelessness in the Census, - working with Homes NSW to highlight barriers to using specialist homelessness services and provide examples of good practice, - participating in the National Housing and Homelessness Plan Roundtable and consultation for the NSW Homelessness Strategy, - advising NSW Telco so people experiencing homelessness have better access to technology, and - informing the Commonwealth inquiry into the COVID-19 response. This Homelessness Week, we celebrate the success of StreetCare and urge decision-makers to remember that the best results are achieved when law and policy is created with people affected, rather than for them. Big thanks to all StreetCare members for their tenacious and courageous advocacy and for leading the way on addressing homelessness. Photo: StreetCare members prepare to tour the Macquarie St East precinct in the CBD to advise on redevelopment that protects the rights of rough sleepers.

Did you know? 🧐 Nearly 600 Tasmanian children and young people aged 12-24 were recorded as being homeless on the last census night. 🧒 👩🦰 Young Tasmanians experience homelessness at a higher rate than any other state or territory in Australia except Victoria and the Northern Territory. In 2021-22, over 1400 young Tasmanians aged 10-24 presented along, without a carer or guardian, to specialist homelessness services seeking help. In 2021, 25% of people experiencing homelessness in Tasmania were children and young people aged 12-24 years. Between the 2006 and 2021 censuses, Tasmania experienced by far the biggest increase in child and youth homelessness in the country (up 42.6%).   These statistics only scratch the surface of issues that young people experiencing homelessness face.   We know youth homelessness is getting more complex and widespread, but we also know that this shameful problem is not hopeless - it can be fixed. 🏡 Read more from Dianne Underwood on the problem and ways we can move forward as a community to help end youth homelessness. 👏🏻 👉 https://lnkd.in/gZ-Sdaxk #endyouthhomelessness