Youth Homelessness Matters Day highlights the resilience of young people affected by homelessness.
Over 28,000 young Australians aged 12 to 24 years were estimated to be homeless on Census night 2021*. Young people are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of homelessness, not only to their education and transition to employment, but also to the formation of stable and healthy relationships.
The Australian Government has funded the Reconnect Program since 1998. Reconnect is a community-based early intervention and prevention program for young people aged 12 to 18 years (or 12 to 21 years in the case of newly arrived youth) who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and their families. This program supports around 7,000 young people annually, to prevent youth homelessness by keeping young people connected with their families, communities and providing education/training or employment opportunities. Services include counselling, family mediation, group work and other practical support such as referrals and advocacy.
Access to secure and affordable housing is central to our wellbeing, influencing our social, economic and personal outcomes. Homelessness is an important issue which affects many Australians, and the Australian Government is committed to working with state and territory governments, and stakeholders across the housing system to address it.
The Australian Government, in consultation with state and territory governments, is also developing the National Housing and Homelessness Plan. The Plan is a 10-year strategy which will set out the key short, medium and longer term reforms needed to improve outcomes across the housing spectrum. The Plan will consider a range of challenges in housing and homelessness. Public consultation will open in the second quarter of 2023.
Visit DSS Engage(Opens in a new tab/window) to be notified when consultation begins.
*Australian Bureau of Statistics. "Estimating Homelessness: Census(Opens in a new tab/window)." ABS, 2021.
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