Calls for youth homelessness strategy from Tasmanian advocates

Advocates are calling for a standalone strategy to prevent young people falling into homelessness and address the high level of kids teenagers living rough.

Young people aged 12 to 24 make up a quarter of Tasmania's homeless population, and include children under the age of 16 who are accessing homelessness services alone.

On Youth Homelessness Day, the Youth Network of Tasmania, Shelter Tasmania, TasCOSS, Colony 47, Anglicare Tasmania, Youth Futures and Family and Community Connections are calling on governments to make youth homelessness a priority.

They all support a national campaign to develop a national, standalone strategy to end youth homelessness and prevent further children suffering.

Meanwhile, the Greens have targeted short-stay holiday listings on YHD, stating that the government is failing to reduce short stay accommodation or act to give councils authority to refuse new listings.

Greens leader Cassy O'Connor said the government needed to get serious on youth homelessness and the broader housing issues.

"They need to recognise the need to control the explosion in short stay listings...The status quo is untenable for young people and every Tasmanian needing a secure, affordable home," she said.

Housing Acting Minister Felix Ellis said youth homelessness was being addressed by the state government.

"National Youth Homelessness Matters Day shines a light on the vulnerability to homelessness that many young people can face as they move into adulthood," Mr Ellis said

"The risk is real and that's why the Government is investing in services targeted directly at meeting the needs of young Tasmanians."

Mr Ellis said the Youth2Independence (Y21) program was providing accommodation and support to young people, and the government was building to new facilities to help young Tasmanians.

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He said there are already sites in Hobart, Launceston and Devonport.

"Y2I is delivering outstanding results for young Tasmanians, so much so that we are building two additional Y2I facilities, a $17 million 26-unit facility in central Hobart and a $14.2 million 25-unit facility in Burnie," Mr Ellis said.

"We are also expanding the Y2I program to provide small, home-like environments for young people through a further commitment of over $5 million to deliver 20 new modular one-bedroom units located in the Burnie, Devonport, Launceston and Clarence municipalities, plus 10 share-homes, each of which will have a minimum of three bedrooms.

He said the government had embraced the Y21 model because it takes a holistic approach to meeting the needs of young people and focuses on empowering them, so they can build better lives for themselves, and achieve genuine independence.

He said an $8 million crisis accommodation centre in Burnie would be up and running next month.

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