According to the latest census data, there are 45,850 young people under the age of 25 experiencing homelessness in Australia.
Estimating Homelessness: Census 2021, ABSMore than just rough sleeping
When people think of homelessness, they often picture individuals rough sleeping, such as on the streets, in tents, or makeshift dwellings. While this form of homelessness is the most visible, it is just the tip of the iceberg, especially when it comes to children and young people.
In fact, the latest census revealed that only 2% of children and young people experiencing homelessness were sleeping rough. The rest are couch surfing, staying in overcrowded or unsafe housing, living in crisis accommodation, or other forms of inadequate housing.
Homelessness looks different for each child and young person, but the reality is that everyone deserves a safe, secure, and stable place to call home.
51%
are living in severely crowded dwellings
23%
are living in short-term refuges and accommodation
13%
are living in boarding houses
9%
are couch surfing, or staying temporarily with others
These young people have often left home because it was no longer a safe place to live. 1 in 3 seek help due to family and domestic violence, and 48% experience mental health issues.
AIHW, SHS annual report 2022Our Impact
At Stepping Stone House, we provide young people with the support they need to give them the best possible chance of healing from past trauma and build their resilience and skills to overcome homelessness, step by step.
Find out more about Stepping Stone House
Advocating for change
Stepping Stone House has a strong history of advocacy, empowering the young people in our care to safely share their stories, and campaigning for increased support for these individuals.
As part of the Home Stretch campaign, our CEO, Jason Juretic, led a petition to the NSW government to extend out-of-home care support from age 18 to 21.
This was achieved in November 2022 and marked an enormous change in the support for these young people, reducing their likelihood of experiencing homelessness in the future.
However, the mission is far from over.
A vision to end child and youth homelessness
Australia has a youth homelessness crisis. Unfortunately, the rates of young people experiencing homelessness are only rising.
At Stepping Stone House, we have a vision to end child and youth homelessness in Australia.
We’re committed to this vision on the grand scale, amplifying the voices of young people, advocating for change, and fighting for government intervention.
More than that, we are committed to this vision through the individual lives of the young people we support.
