PROGRAM

Our homelessness service system is primarily set up for adults when nearly 40% of the homeless population are under the age of 24 years.

This session will explore whether we need a carved-out national plan to meet the needs of children and young people.

In December 1990 Australia ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. That Convention is a Treaty – one which is binding on Australia as a matter of International law. 

The Australian government and all government officials are obliged to respect the rights of all children as set out in this Treaty, including:

• The right to adequate housing
• The right to special protection and
• The right to protection from abuse and exploitation.

This session will explore whether child and youth homelessness needs to be explored in this paradigm and analysed in this context.

Young people on their own are 16% of homeless clients but access only some 3% of social housing. There is a case for rethinking social housing as a transitional housing option for disadvantaged and vulnerable young people. This session will explore how could this reform be done?

Across Australia there are numerous innovative models operating to address child and youth homelessness. Often, they are under-resourced and unheralded. This session will seek to tease out what was the evidence for their genesis; what are the critical elements to their success and what outcomes they are achieving.

As a form of supported accommodation linked strongly to education, training and employment pathways, Foyers in Australia have been developed as part of the homelessness response. This session will explore the outcomes achieved by Foyers and its relationship with the SHS.  It will also explore what reforms and calibrations should be considered for the Foyer model of supported accommodation. 

This session will delve into the dynamics and challenges faced by frontline services. Panellists will share their experiences and expertise in understanding the nuanced nature of the demand on their services, highlighting the evolving patterns, complexities and unique needs of homeless children and young people.

This session will focus on the unique challenges face by homeless children and young people in maintaining their physical and mental well-being and highlight the importance of integrated approaches that address both health and wellbeing. It will explore the interconnection between health and wellbeing and homelessness amongst children and young people.

This session aims to highlight the significance of stable and affordable housing as foundational to addressing homelessness.

This session will delve into the challenges and barriers faced in expanding housing opportunities for children and young people and brainstorm actionable steps that can be taken to enhance housing options, increase affordability and strengthen support services.

This session will provide a platform for young people with a lived experience of homelessness to share their insights and perspectives on designing an ideal service system. This session aims to amplify the voices of those who have directly experienced homelessness, recognising their invaluable expertise in shaping effective support systems.

Panellists will discuss the challenges they faced within existing service models and their hopes for a more inclusive and empowering service system.

The Albanese Government has committed to developing a National Housing and Homelessness Plan. The primary focus of the government at the moment is on the Housing Futures Fund along with its recent commitment of $2 billion Housing Accelerator.

This session aims to assess the Government’s initiatives, strategies and funding allocations in tackling child and youth homelessness. It will discuss potential opportunities for policy enhancements and innovations. It will also focus on the need for a national plan to address child and youth homelessness.

This session will explore the factors contributing to youth homelessness among young people involved with the juvenile justice system. Panellists will discuss the challenges faced by young people transitioning from the justice system and the barriers they encounter in accessing stable and supported housing.

This session will discuss the pressing issue of homelessness among LGBTIQ+ young people and explore strategies to address this challenge. In particular, the panel will focus on effective interventions, policy recommendations and best practises to provide targeted support, inclusive services and approaches.

This session will focus on exploring the pivotal role of the community housing sector in responding to youth homelessness. It will delve into the challenges faced by the community housing providers in addressing the specific needs of homeless young people.

This session will also examine the various strategies, programs and collaborations employed by community housing providers to effectively respond to the needs of homeless young people.

This session aims to emphasise the critical role of identifying and addressing the factors that contribute to homelessness at an early stage. The session will explore successful models and evidence-based practises that demonstrate the effectiveness of early intervention strategies in reducing child and youth homelessness.

A major driver of young people becoming homeless is family and domestic violence associated with other issues that creates an untenable situation, requiring early intervention relief if that is possible, or an effective crisis response with pathways to supportive housing where early intervention is not possible. This breakout session will explore how the national initiatives around addressing family and domestic violence may contribute directly and indirectly to a national strategic response to children and youth homelessness.

Arguably all young people including the most vulnerable young people need support to succeed along pathways of education, post-school training and employment. What models of support do young people who experience homelessness need in order to achieve sustainable livelihoods? What reforms need to be considered in the Australian training and employment support systems?

The role of local government in addressing homelessness among children and young people is often overlooked. This session aims to explore the unique responsibilities and opportunities that local governments have in addressing child and youth homelessness at the community level. It will focus on current initiatives, policies and partnerships that local governments are involved in to support homeless children and young people.

Youth homelessness is not only prevalent in our major cities it also presents a challenge for regional, rural and remote communities where overcrowding is prevalent.

Young people (aged 16-24 years) in rural areas experience homelessness very differently to their urban peers, due to limited employment and education options and inadequate formal support networks.

First nations children and young people are over-represented in the clients of the homelessness services system. How might this be addressed to reduce the flow of indigenous children and young people experiencing homelessness and to improve the appropriateness and effectiveness of responses?

Evidence tells us that mental health issues are a key risk factor for youth homelessness. Headspace estimates that 48-82% of homeless young people have a diagnosable mental illness.

This session will explore the complex interplay between mental health challenges and youth homelessness, exploring how factors like trauma, substance abuse and limited access to mental health services contribute to this issue.

A long-standing issue has been the capacity of the status-quo of systems to respond to U-16 years-olds who experience homelessness due to family breakdown. Homeless services are not funded nor authorised to support children in this age group as clients in their own right, nor is a response from Care and Protection services, which are authorised to respond, typically something that can be depended upon.

This session will explore the valuable insights and strategies that can be gleaned from successful community campaigns and how they might be applied to a campaign to secure a commitment from the Australia government for a carved out national plan to address child and youth homelessness.

This session will centre on how it is we secure a commitment from the Australian government to develop a national plan to address child and youth homelessness. It will discuss effective advocacy strategies to influence policymakers and garner support for a comprehensive national plan – this will include the alliances needed, leveraging research and evidence and mobilising public awareness and support.