Young children are increasingly becoming the face of homelessness, according to Shelter Tasmania.
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Data analysis by the Council to Homeless Persons found there was an 83 per cent national increase in the number of school students presenting at homelessness services over the last three years. More than 39,100 students from preschool, primary school and secondary school sought help from homelessness services nationally in 2015-16.
Shelter Tasmania executive officer Pattie Chugg said the numbers were “alarming, not just at the personal level for those involved but also because these children represent our future”.
“This is of very pressing concern for all of us living in Tasmania, that we have such vulnerable young people experiencing homelessness right now, and the numbers are growing,” Ms Chugg said.
Children aged up to nine were sitting at 20.6 per cent of all specialist homelessness services clients in Tasmania, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data showed. The number increased by more than 4 per cent from 2014-15.
“This means young children are the increasing face of homelessness,” Ms Chugg said, adding the increase was of “key concern”.
“If you don’t have a proper home, what chances do you have to access and maintain a proper education,” Ms Chugg said.
Human Services Minister Jacquie Petrusma said the state government had recognised “the need for affordable housing for vulnerable Tasmanians,” and developed Tasmania’s Affordable Housing Strategy 2015-25 which involved an extra $73.5 million investment.
“The state government continues to actively work with the eight specialist homelessness services across the state that specifically cater to young people aged 13-20 years,” Ms Petrusma said.
“Currently Launceston's Thyne House offers a 30-bed Supported Accommodation Facility for young people aged 16-25 years which is going to be expanded by another eight units.”
Ms Chugg said homelessness services across the state and in Launceston reported parents with children were hard to house due to a lack of accommodation.
Ms Petrusma said the state government was determined to “break the cycle of disadvantage, and was developing a whole of sector integrated Youth at Risk Strategy, alongside Tasmania’s first ever Family Violence Action Plan”.
