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Youth Homelessness Matters Day today!

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Youth Homelessness Matters Day today!

On any given night in Australia 105,000 people are homeless and nearly half of these are under the age of 25 (Youth Homelessness Matters, YHM)

How scary is this to read…

It is not something we think about every day, when we are curled up in front the television or tucked away in bed at night; the thought that there are so many young people out there with nowhere to call home; no safe haven to escape to.

Tomorrow (Wednesday 14th April, 2010) has been designated Youth Homelessness Matters Day, by YHM, as part of National Youth Week. The theme “The Countdown, Everyone Counts” was chosen by The National Coalition for Housing Council to reflect the fact that youth homelessness affects a range of young people in different circumstances and for different reasons. It links directly with the Homelessness Australia campaign of “Will you be homeless in 2020?” by starting the countdown in 2010 to reduce the number in real terms across all areas of primary, secondary and tertiary homelessness.

According to YHM, youth homelessness can be primary or secondary. Primary is what we would normally think of when we think homelessness: people living on the street wrapped in boxes and dirty blankets, huddling over a fire or asleep on the sidewalk. Secondary homelessness relates more to young people and is very subtle in nature. It includes:

a young person in school who is sleeping on friends’ couches and moving from friend to friend;
a young person in a youth shelter who is on income support; and
a young person who is in an apprenticeship or traineeship who is living in a tent.

It goes without saying that young people, who are not supported when they first experience homelessness, have a higher chance of becoming homeless as adults.

The ‘Countdown – Everyone Counts’ theme will allow young people and services to highlight the issues for a range of young people and to articulate strategies that can end homelessness.

Homelessness is not just the man you see lying on a cardboard box outside a store front in Newtown. It isn’t just the person wondering aimlessly along the streets at night with nowhere to go when it becomes silent. There may be people you know who are homeless; it could be someone you see everyday…

Have you or someone you know had experience with homelessness? What’s your take on the issue? Has it touched you life in some way?

Youth Homelessness Matters

13 Apr 2010 04:45 AM |
Posted by: NadineF in Community challenge

Tags:: homelessness

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5 Comments

Bella.

over 1 year ago

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Hello!

I am so so sorry that I'm only replying to you now. I had completely missed your post. I really hope you come back online to see that I've replied...

You remind me a little bit of myself there miss! I joined RO when I was about your age and have been here ever since. It's a great place to come when you're experiencing your own stuff, but also a great place to come when you want to support people too.

About you're experience - first of all... you're pretty amazing to have survived that and still be here with the passion to help others.

Secondly, it's fantastic that you have reconnected with your Mum. That mother-daughter relationship really seems to matter, hey? I hope it continues to go well for you. And, in the event that it doesn't, make sure you find some help to get through it.

Thirdly, I would love to help. The only problem is that we are not allowed to exchange contact details on RO, so it'll have to be within the realm of RO land ;)

Sooo... in order to do that, maybe we can set up a forum? Have you had a look in the forums? It might be a nice step for you to create a thread about homelessness and I will join in with you and we can try and raise awareness. Otherwise, I am happy to make one... it's just whatever you feel most comfortable with.

Also, I really relate to your feeling of wanting to help people in similar situations. I think that that desire is the thing that has helped me to get through my stuff.

You've got sooo much ahead of you. There's so much you can do, and so much you can change. I'm studying to be a Social Worker at uni now and will hopefully work with homeless young people. So there's a future out there for you that is truly achievable. All you need is your determination.

Please come and visit us here whenever you like. We love to have new members and it can be a really great place to come when you need some encouragement, distraction and support.

Don't give up on your dream to help others. I believe some people are put on the planet to help and it sounds like you're one of them. Sounds like a bit of a life purpose for you, eh? So, my advice is when things get tough remember that. Because it'll always remind you that you are worthwhile and that your life is something that should be treasured.

Lots of good luck to you my friend,

and I'm hoping you get this message and are keen to start up that forum with me ;)

Bells x

freshbabeexx

over 1 year ago

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hey bella.
i just joined reachout online today im 16 when i was 13 i went to a programe called ROC where i met some great people.
i was homeless for3 months i was scared i was so cold and all i did was cry and wish i could be in my old bed with my family in the rooms next to me.
and now i am here today me and my mum got in contact and she asked for me to come home.
i thought i would come on here and just say i belive and know every word you have said it true its horrible frightening and i wouldnt wish being homeless on anyone its horrible just knowing its so easy to slip in to the cracks and alot of people cant get help either too embaressed or ashamed or just dont know how.
i would like to help these people.
i want to make a real diffrence i need to for myself.
i want to do something to really lend a hand and im not quite sure how.
i was wondering if you could help me help them.
with more people caring and thinking about these people and the situations they are in and face day to day we can really make a diffrence i know this is what im ment to do iv never felt such a natural pull to anything in my life its my job to help stop this homelesness !!!
as human beings we feel and we should feel the need to help others who truely need it.
im on the right track now, but thats just the begining im going to help others too.

NadineF

almost 2 years ago

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Hi Bella,

It's fine. It is great to get your perspective having experienced life in a refuge. Thank you for sharing this,

NF :)

Bella.

almost 2 years ago

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OH MY GOD! That was MUCH longer than I though - so sorry!!

Bella.

almost 2 years ago

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Hey all,

Would just like to reinforce the fact that homelessness really can and does effect a huge number of youth. I have just found stable accommodation and been able to go to uni after being homeless for 7months.

I lived in a refuge and learnt a lot about the factors contributing to why young people become homeless - abuse (physical, sexual, emotional), psychosis, no family supports/abandonment, lack of finance, etc.

I lived with people that were psychotic and who would most likely live their lives with no where to go. After short times, those people were usually moved from the refuge into a psych ward. When they were released, their problems of homelessness confronted them again.

Unfortunately a homeless refuge is not usually able to deal with people who are such high needs, so these people essentially have great difficulty finding shelter. If you think about it, maybe this is why so many of the primary homeless that we see on the streets have a mental illness (usually some form of psychosis)?

Where do the people with severe mental illness go when their family is not there to support them?

Seriously guys, this can affect anyone. Most of the people I lived with were highly intelligent. They wanted to be writers, attend uni, study philosophy, finish school even in spite of everything (!)... some were from private schools and wealthy families, others were from public schools and not-so-wealthy families. To think that homelessness only affects the poor (particularly in youth) is not always correct, for homeless young people, being homeless, losing family support, having no one in the world to financially support them leads to not having enough money.

I would also like to say that the perception that homeless youth have left home in an act of rebellion in order to find more freedom, in my experience, is seldom true. In fact, I met no one like that. All had stories of abandonment, abuse or psychosis.

No one chooses to be homeless!

It's horrible - the fear of your time being up at the refuge... where will you go? The fear of never being able to break the cycle. The fear of not being able to continue your education. The sheer grief that you feel just by the recognition that you are in this predicament in the first place. You see your peers at school, how they are going home to a home cooked dinner, to a safe place... you know no family is perfect, but it'd be nice to have one. Why would anyone choose that?

Anyway, I'll stop ranting. This is just so important guys. I can think of people I met during my time being homeless who will probably never break the cycle. I have been so lucky to be able to do so myself, and I feel forever in debt to those who haven't, or who might not. With more awareness of these issues, we might see more young people overcoming their circumstances. But this can't be achieved until there is adequate support.

Thanks for reading,

Bells x

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Youth Homelessness Matters Day today!

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