{"id":452890,"date":"2026-02-02T04:06:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T04:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/452890\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T04:06:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T04:06:10","slug":"youth-homelessness-leaves-huge-hidden-population-seeking-safety-at-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/452890\/","title":{"rendered":"Youth homelessness leaves ‘huge hidden population’ seeking safety at school"},"content":{"rendered":"

Caitlan was just 11 years old and in her last year of primary school when she became homeless.<\/p>\n

It is almost impossible to comprehend, especially in a country like Australia \u2014 a child, homeless and preparing to begin high school.<\/p>\n

“After losing my home, school was something that was like a stable place for me and a constant,” the now 18-year-old said.<\/p>\n

“That was really all I had.”<\/p>\n

The safety that school provided Caitlan soon disappeared, drowned out by the stress associated with not having access to basic amenities most take for granted.<\/p>\n

Child poverty hits WA high<\/a><\/p>\n

Rates of child poverty in WA have doubled in a decade, but there is a severe lack of crisis accommodation, prompting experts to call on governments to do more.<\/p>\n

“I would beg to sleep on friends’ couches and try to keep myself invisible and not draw any attention to myself,” Caitlan said.<\/p>\n

“I was ashamed.<\/p>\n

“Even there [school] as my only place of stability and the only place where I felt like I was safe or I belonged \u2026 I still didn’t feel safe to tell anybody what was happening to me.”<\/p>\n

More young people need help<\/p>\n

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare<\/a>, on any given day in 2025, 11,900 unaccompanied children and young people (between the age of 12-24) were assisted by specialist homelessness services across Australia.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

WA has the highest number of people turned away from homelessness services in the country. (AAP Image: Dave Hunt)<\/p>\n

In Western Australia<\/a>, 830 children and young people receive support on any given day \u2014 a 17 per cent increase from the year before.<\/p>\n

WA also has the highest number of people turned away from homelessness services in the country, with an average of 96 requests for assistance unable to be met on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

Homeless battle poor sleep, bad diets and stress<\/a><\/p>\n

Western Australian research is showing a strong link between homelessness and poor health, with life expectancy more than 30 years lower for people without secure housing.<\/p>\n

For Caitlan, who has just finished her final year of high school and is a member of WA’s Youth Homelessness Advisory Council, knowing there are hundreds of children and young people experiencing homelessness and trying to keep up with school is devastating.<\/p>\n

“I experienced homelessness in Melbourne for four years, three of which I did not attend school,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I was very lucky that I was able to get support and stable housing [with family in WA].<\/p>\n

“There are still so many young people out there experiencing what I had to experience \u2026 and there isn’t that support accessible to them.<\/p>\n

“Seeing the numbers and seeing the reality of the crisis here in WA is not shocking because I know that there are gaps in the system that need to be fixed.”<\/p>\n

Coalition calls for action<\/p>\n

A coalition of peak bodies, frontline services and young people is hoping to persuade the WA government to prioritise ending youth homelessness, calling for $150 million to be spent on the issue in the upcoming WA state budget.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Youth Affairs Council of WA CEO Kylie Wallace is calling for more action to address youth homelessness. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd\u00a0)<\/p>\n

“We shouldn’t have a huge hidden population of hundreds of school students experiencing rough sleeping and homelessness in the wealthiest state in Australia,” Youth Affairs Council of WA CEO Kylie Wallace said.<\/p>\n

“For every crisis bed that becomes available each night [in Perth], 69 children and young people are competing for that one bed.<\/p>\n

“Housing stability is foundational to education, wellbeing and future opportunity.<\/p>\n

“[We’re] calling on the state government to acknowledge this is a crisis and respond via a targeted investment in the upcoming state budget.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kylie Wallace and Caitlin want the government to prioritise ending youth homelessness. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd\u00a0)<\/p>\n

While Ms Wallace acknowledged the state government had boosted funding towards homelessness services, including a record investment into new social housing, she said there had been little investment directly targeted towards children and young people.<\/p>\n

“We shouldn’t have a huge hidden population of hundreds of school students experiencing rough sleeping and homelessness in the wealthiest state in Australia,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Commitments made in the next state budget could solve it.”<\/p>\n

Government backs strategy<\/p>\n

WA’s Minister for Homelessness Matthew Swinbourn said the state government had supported homelessness services like no other government had.<\/p>\n

“We don’t accept young people not being able to get a home or to be facing homelessness,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We’re in the middle of the 10-year homelessness strategy and very soon I’ll be releasing the next five-year action plan inside of that.<\/p>\n

\"Matthew<\/p>\n

Matthew Swinbourn says the state government is committed to supporting homelessness services. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)<\/p>\n

“What we find when young people experience homelessness, if we are able to get the supports around them, then typically they don’t necessarily experience homelessness in later life.”<\/p>\n

That was a sentiment the government and those working in the sector agreed on.<\/p>\n

“If we don’t do this, WA’s youth homelessness crisis will deepen,” Ms Wallace said.<\/p>\n

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