It is a number that is beyond comprehension – on any given night 45,850 children and young people will be homeless in Australia. This devastating statistic is a stark reminder of the growing issue of homelessness, impacting some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
Homelessness in children, especially in the Northern Rivers, is difficult, as they are one of the most vulnerable demographics. Homeless children typically have no choice but to couch surf. Rather than sleeping on the streets, they tend to have no other option but to depend on others such as friends or family to stay off the streets.
Deb Pearse from the Byron Youth Service said young people who are couch surfing or moving around trying to find a bed for the night, can find themselves in unsafe positions, ‘Or they could end up with older people who may be unsafe or inappropriate or providing space for “favours”.’
More workers, more funding
When asked what can be done to help, Deb Pearse said, ‘More workers. We all work more hours than we are paid for, just more funding basically so we can provide services and have, you know, professionals that can help with trauma counselling, grief counselling, family dysfunction, but times are definitely tougher, people are suffering, that all trickles down to what families can provide for young people.’
Homeless children in the area often suffer with difficulty finding transport, making it hard to find safe spaces especially late at night.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2021, there were 202 homeless children and young people in the Ballina, Byron, Lismore and Tweed local government areas. Of these 202, 80 were in Tweed, 78 in Lismore, 23 in Ballina and 21 in Byron.
Byron Shire has largest number of homeless
Byron Shire currently deals with the largest number of homeless people in the state, Byron and Tweed Local Government Areas (LGA) rough sleeper numbers combined account for 27 per cent of all rough sleepers in the State in 2023.
In a survey done by Mission Australia, one in 10 young people who were polled faced homelessness in the past year. This report was based on a sample of 19,501 respondents with data collected from March to August 2023.
Some of the leading causes of youth homelessness in the area are domestic violence, parents separating, parents evicted or natural disasters. There are different support services available for those suffering homelessness, but these support services are oftentimes underfunded and the workers are working longer shifts.
Housing crisis
A big problem the area is suffering with is the housing crisis. Not enough homes are being built and when they are they are very expensive. There are currently approximately 58,000 applicants on the waiting list for social housing in New South Wales, but the NSW Government has only included funding for 6,200 additional social homes over the next four years.
Not enough is being done for homeless youth in the Byron Shire. Transport, food, vouchers are just some of the possible ideas that could someway help. Times are tougher and people are suffering, not all families can provide for their children.
When asked if enough is being done, Deb Pearse said there wasn’t enough. ‘For young people in general, all community services are suffering, funding is hard to come by. Most of us kind of get bits of funding and donations if we can to provide the services that we do.’
If you need support or wold like more information, visit: salvationarmy.org.au.
James Muddle is a year 10 student on work experience at The Echo.
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