- NSW had the highest number of unaccompanied children seeking help from specialist services (7,152), followed by Victoria (3,271) and South Australia (2,306).
- First Nations children are overrepresented among children experiencing homelessness, making up 32 per cent of homeless children nationally, despite comprising only 6.8 per cent of the population under 18.
"Family and child homelessness is a blight on Australia," said Kate Colvin, CEO of Homelessness Australia. "How can a parent settle a child to sleep, keep them safe and have them ready for school if they are sleeping in their car or a tent in the middle of winter? "These figures should ring alarm bells among politicians and policymakers that action to tackle child and family homelessness is urgently needed." Homelessness Australia has called for a suite of measures to address the crisis as part of the forthcoming National Housing and Homelessness Plan. Key among these is setting ambitious targets and timelines for action on the major drivers of homelessness; rental stress, domestic and family violence, and access to the support families need to thrive. The Plan also needs to drive investment into the frontline of the homelessness and domestic violence response, so that when families and children seek help to avoid or escape homelessness, there is a worker and the housing and accommodation needed to get them into a stable home. Other recommendations include a Homelessness Action Plan to end homelessness for Australian children and young people. Such a plan would unite child-centred services to respond to children at risk of homelessness, and address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of homeless children, ensuring they receive necessary care, support, and housing. A dedicated First Nations Housing and Homelessness Plan is also needed to address the particular issues driving overrepresentation of First Nations children and families. "It's a national shame that in a wealthy, developed country like Australia, we have tens of thousands of families and young people—many of whom are grappling with domestic violence—without a safe place to call home," said Kate Colvin. "We urgently need a comprehensive national strategy to ensure that no Australian child ever experiences the trauma of homelessness. Our nation has the resources to solve this crisis. What we need now is the ambition to make it happen."
