NCJ Number
200371
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2003 Pages: 18-24
Date Published
March 2003
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses Australian youth homelessness and its prevention.
Abstract
In this follow-up paper to a national census of homeless school students in Australia, the authors question whether youth homelessness is evenly distributed across all of Australia’s States. Noting that Australia’s youth homeless population comprises school students, Technical and Further Education (TAFE) students, unemployed teens, and temporarily homeless youths, the authors describe 1,937 State and Catholic schools asked to participate in Australia’s second national census of homeless school students. Data from 1,930 of these schools and from the National Supported Accommodations Assistance Program (SAAP) indicate that there were 26,000 homeless youths in Australia at the time of the census, with 15,000 representing unemployed youths, 8,500 representing school students, and 2,100 representing TAFE students. The authors found that Queensland and New South Wales had the highest numbers of homeless youths followed by Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia. Furthermore, homelessness among Australia’s young people was not found to be spread evenly across Australia’s States, with the Northern Territories reflecting higher homelessness rates. The authors conclude that their findings will be essential in helping policymakers and government officials to recognize and combat the homeless youth problem throughout Australia’s States. Tables, references