Teens sleep rough
Catherine Toffolon
22Apr08
A SEVERE lack of long-term housing and early intervention programs is contributing to youth homelessness in Melbourne's outer east, carers and social workers say.
The National Youth Commission this month revealed that about 22,000 young Australians were homeless.
The commission's Australia's Homeless Youth report found that the numbers of teenagers without stable accommodation had doubled since 1989.
Eastern Access Community Health youth and family health nurse Heather Anderson said homelessness in the outer east was largely "hidden". She said two teenagers were turned away from the service last week and were forced to "sleep rough".
"Daily we see young people come through and the problem is being exacerbated by the private rental market and a lack of affordable and transitional housing," Ms Anderson said.
"There is a particular gap for the 15-year-old age group and foster carers are reluctant to take kids over 13 or 14, so Human Services struggle to place them."
Ringwood-based Wesley Homeless Mission manager Linda McKay said youth homelessness was worse than it had ever been and long-term housing was insufficient to meet climbing demand.
Croydon Community School principal Bronwyn Harcourt said she dealt with two types of youth homelessness those escaping dysfunctional families and those who chose not to go home because they refused to live by the rules. Ms Harcourt said young people in the outer east had limited emergency accommodation options.
"I've been forced to send students to city refuges, paying for their train ticket, because there is limited emergency housing," Ms Harcourt said.
"The bricks and mortar just don't exist."
The Australia's Homeless Youth report found that one in two young people were turned away from emergency shelters every night because of a lack of available beds.
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