This Homelessness Week, the Lighthouse team acknowledge Homelessness Australia’s message that “it’s time to end homelessness”. On the last Census night in Australia:
- There were 122,494 people experiencing homelessness
- 23% are aged from 12 – 24 years
- 1 in 7 are under 12
- 1 in 5 are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
As an organisation whose vision is to end youth homelessness, the fact that 37.4% of people experiencing homelessness are aged between 0 to 24 highlights how important it is that we work toward this vision. We will continue providing therapeutic care and homes to ensure our support reaches those who need it most.
It is also important to recognise that homelessness is not “rooflessness”. Only 6.2% of people without a home are sleeping rough. The majority of homelessness is hidden – people in crisis accommodation, rooming houses, insecure housing, overcrowded dwellings or couch surfing.
To discuss the complexity and nuances of the housing situation and the social issues it causes, the Lighthouse team and some of our young people gathered around the kitchen table for morning tea organised by our Community Connect team at our Youth Resource Hub to create a visual representation of ‘Rooflessness versus homelessness – What home means to you?’ This resulted in a beautiful mural of words and drawings representing how ‘home’ feels to different people.
We can create a meaningful impact even after Homelessness Week has ended. To contribute to creating positive change and work towards a future where everyone has a safe and stable place to call home, you can:
- Support Campaigns: Engage in and share impactful campaigns aimed at ending homelessness.
- Share Messages: Use your social media platforms to share messages and stories about the importance of addressing homelessness.
- Reach Out to Your Local MP: Write letters or emails to your local Members of Parliament to advocate the need for comprehensive solutions to end homelessness.
- Sign Petitions: Join petitions advocating for meaningful change in policies and practices related to homelessness. Homelessness Australia, together with Everybody’s Home, has developed this petition calling for the Government’s 10-year housing and homelessness plan aimed to end homelessness – everybodyshome.com.au/end-homelessness
By taking action, we can look toward a future without homelessness.
Let’s end youth homelessness, together.
