What is homelessness?

Homelessness does not necessarily mean ‘rooflessness.’ Many children and young people needing support may not even recognise that they are experiencing homelessness.

Homelessness is defined in three categories:

• Primary homelessness refers to people living without conventional accommodation, such as sleeping rough on the streets or in a park, squatting, or sleeping in cars.

• Secondary homelessness refers to people moving between temporary shelters, including staying with other households (e.g. couch surfing), emergency accommodation, refuges, hostels and boarding houses on a short-term (less than 12 weeks) basis.

• Tertiary homelessness refers to people living in unconventional accommodation such as boarding houses, hostels or caravans on a medium- to long-term basis (over 13 weeks), without secure tenure.

  Source: Youth Off the Streets, Facts about youth homelessness in Australia

Youth homelessness is often hidden

Most homeless children and young people are in the secondary or tertiary categories of homelessness. They may be couch surfing or sleeping on floors, temporarily staying with friends, relatives or strangers; or they may be living in temporary and unstable accommodation which is not self-contained.

Common causes of homelessness

The reasons for homelessness among young Australians are many and diverse, and include:

• Family breakdown

• Poverty

• Severe overcrowding

• Domestic and family violence

• Experiencing physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse

• Neglect and abandonment

• Addiction

• Trauma

• Mental illness

• Homophobia and transphobia

• Natural disasters – fires, floods

• Family unable to obtain permanent housing

• Engaging in criminal behaviour and contact with youth justice system

Risks

Children and young people experiencing homelessness are more likely to also experience:

• Physical illness

• Psychological distress

• Psychiatric disorders

• Alcohol and drug misuse

• Self-harm and suicidal behaviour

• Inadequate nutrition

• Poor sleep

• Disengagement from education and lower academic outcomes

• Limited access to medical care

• Unsafe sexual encounters

• Violence, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and exploitation

These risks increase with duration of homelessness. Being homeless as a child significantly increases the chance of adult homelessness.

Risk factors for youth homelessness

Aboriginal children and young people make up 33% of the total number of unaccompanied children and young people presenting at specialist homelessness services in NSW.

Girls and young women are at higher risk of unaccompanied homelessness than boys and young men.

Young people leaving out-of-home care may experience additional trauma, disadvantage and increased risk of experiencing homelessness.

Children and young people with physical disability, emotional or behavioural problems are more likely to experience homelessness.

Source: Yfoundations, Yfoundations submission: National Housing and Homelessness Plan Issues Paper, Yfoundations, 2023

Homelessness Australia, Child and Youth Homelessness Fact Sheet, 2023

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Australia’s Children, AIHW website, 2022

Indicators of homelessness

Possible indicators that a child or young person is homeless, disengaging from home or has unstable accommodation:

• Does not bring required school materials to school

• Does not have / wear their proper school uniform

• Says they do not want to go home

• Says that they are not getting on with their family / their family fights

• Drug and alcohol use

• Appears or smells unclean or unwashed

• Says they are staying at different people’s places

• Avoids talking about home or living situations

• Expresses feelings of isolation or disconnectedness

• Spends a lot of time in public facilities eg libraries, community centres, parks

• Signs of food insecurity e.g. steals food, gorges food when it is available

• Changes to demeanour e.g. tired, lethargic, withdrawn

Indicators of disengagement from school

Disengagement from school is an indicator that a student may be at risk of homelessness. Indicators of disengagement from school include:

• Reduced attendance - arriving late, leaving early, unexplained absences

• Does not hand homework / assignments in

• Disruptive in class / playground
  

• Low academic performance

• Low interest in school work

• Disengages from extra curricular school activities

• States intention to leave school
  

• Changes in attitude, behaviour, performance

• Changes peer groups (for example hanging out with older students)

• Unwillingness to engage with support services

• Change in personal appearance
  

• Appears tired at school

• Does not / minimally participates in class

• Avoids teaching staff or have negative relationships with teaching staff

• They are concerned about their safety / feel like they are being bullied
  

• Are expected to look after younger siblings

• They talk more about not liking / hating someone who may have moved into their home

How can schools help support a child or young person who is homeless, or at risk of homelessness?

If you suspect that a child or young person is homeless, or is at risk of homelessness, you should immediately notify the principal or workplace manager. Homelessness falls under the risk of harm category of Neglect – shelter/environment.

The principal should run the Mandatory Reporter Guide to determine whether the concerns should be reported to the DCJ (Department of Communities and Justice) Child Protection Helpline or the department’s Child Wellbeing Unit.

The Child Wellbeing Unit can also be contacted on 02 9269 9400, when you need support or advice about responding to and/or reporting child protection concerns.

Where possible and appropriate, a member of the executive team should also consider contacting the student’s family to better understand the issues being faced.

Providing a supportive environment

Work with the student and their family to explore if additional support can be put in place to ensure their continued attendance and engagement at school. School is a key protective factor for children and young people who may be at risk of harm.

Referral pathways

Schools can be an effective contact point for children and young people who are at risk of homelessness. Consider referring to one of the following services:

Further reading

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Estimating Homelessness: Census, ABS website, 2023.

Headspace, Clinical Toolkit – At-risk group: Homeless Young People

Youth Off the Streets, Facts about youth homelessness in Australia

Yfoundations, Yfoundations submission: National Housing and Homelessness Plan Issues Paper, Yfoundations, 2023

Homelessness Australia, Child and Youth Homelessness Fact Sheet, 2023

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Australia’s Children, AIHW website, 2022

Download a copy of this resource here.