Watch the above clip "Homelessness in Australia" with your class, and whilst you are watching, consider the following discussion questions:
When watching the clip, what emotions did you feel? Did you feel sad? Indifferent? Why/Why not?
Did anything mentioned in the clip surprise you or touch your heart in any way?
Would you feel differently about the clip if you knew it was talking about an issue directly related to you e.g. your sibling or best friend is homeless. Why/why not?
CLASS DISCUSSION - Discuss the above questions after watching the clip. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Young people become homeless because of family breakdown, often stemming from parental conflicts or a collapse of their relationship with a husband/wife or partner. Some young people who are living independently become homeless because they can’t afford living expenses including rent.
Being homeless is unsafe, unhealthy and very stressful. Young people experiencing homelessness are not a homogenous group. They come from a range of family backgrounds, have diverse dispositions, expectations and desires, and they encounter services of varying quality. Their common needs are to have a stable home; friends; healthy nutrition; to be cared about as individuals; to have adequate educational support; help when they need help; and reliable adults in their lives.
Family breakdown is a broad term that includes such issues as mental illness, domestic violence, neglect, overcrowding, and generational poverty. Young people whose family support has broken down, leading to them going into state care, are particularly vulnerable to becoming homeless. However, when young people become homeless, their friends and their friends’ families often provide shelter and support. This is referred to as ‘couch-surfing’.
This can also include where young people have extended family members, grandmothers or aunts and uncles who often try to help. Without resources and support, these informal social support networks typically breakdown. Mental health issues are more prevalent among homeless youth than the overall population of young people in Australia. In some cases, mental health is implicated in a young person becoming homeless, although it may be the case that the deterioration in the mental health of other family members tips young people into homelessness. However, becoming homeless is also an unhealthy lifestyle. There is evidence that psychological and psychiatric problems may result from homelessness. When young people with mental health issues also develop substance use problems, the situation of co-morbidity (or dual diagnosis) presents major difficulties for supported accommodation services, as well as for specialist services that deal with mental health and drug and alcohol issues. Mental health is a major issue amongst chronically homeless youth with high and complex needs. Source: Australia’s Homeless Youth: a report of the National Youth Commission Inquiry into Youth Homelessness, National Youth Commission, 2008 can be accessed at http://www.theoasismovie.com.au/report/report.php
PAIR AND SHARE - Share ONE key point that "stuck" with you after reading the above information, and explain why to a peer.
SOME KEY MESSAGES ABOUT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS
1. Youth homelessness is invisible We often hear the reference to ‘street kids’ but in fact most homeless young people are invisible to us. The data tells us that most homeless young people are ‘couch surfing’ and living in other unstable situations. This generally means that they are temporarily staying with friends, relatives, family and sometimes with complete strangers. These young people will often be sleeping on couches or on the floors of these people’s houses until they outstay their welcome and move on to the next place – hence the term ‘couch surfing’. This is contrary to what the general public might assume, as the stereotypical homeless people are generally thought to live on the streets. You don’t have to be houseless to be homeless. These young people are not visible to the public yet they are a large proportion of the homeless youth population. Key message for action: Young homeless people do not need rough sleeping initiatives alone but rather they need effective access to supported accommodation, family reconciliation services and community support and education programs to prevent homelessness in the first place.
2. Nearly half of all homeless Australians are children and young people under the age of 25 There were 44,547 children and young people aged 0-25 who were homeless on census night in 2006. Broken down, there were 12,133 children under 12; 21,940 young people aged 12-18; and 10,504 young adults aged 19-25 who were homeless on census night in 2006. Whilst the number of homeless youth has dropped since the 2001 census date there has been an increase in homeless children and young families and couples. This figure is 43% of all homeless people so therefore children and young people under 25 make up nearly half of all homeless people in Australia. Key message for action: Specific strategies to address child and youth homelessness are critical to the overall reduction and elimination of homelessness in Australia
3. Homelessness can affect any young person There are a variety of reasons why children and young people become homeless that are often outside of the control of the young person. The general public often has a view that young homeless people are runaways and could return home if they wanted to. In reality many young people become homeless due to family breakdown, family violence and child abuse. Statistics report that 45% of homeless young people identify interpersonal relationship problems including family violence and conflict with parents as the primary reason for becoming homeless. The next most common reasons are accommodation issues (18%) such as being evicted or unable to nd suitable accommodation and nancial reasons (14%) such as unable to pay rent or other financial difficulty.
Statistics report that 45% of homeless young people identify interpersonal relationship problems including family violence and conflict with parents as the primary reason for becoming homeless. The next most common reasons are accommodation issues (18%) such as being evicted or unable to find suitable accommodation and nancial reasons (14%) such as unable to pay rent or other financial difficulty. Many young people find it difficult to be approved for leases due to the high demand on rental properties and discrimination against young people. There are also issues around overcrowding and the cost of housing that cause young people to become homeless. Homelessness affects all groups of people however, we know that young people who are Indigenous, are from a single or blended family, have been homeless as a child or have been in statutory care, are at greater risk of homelessness. Key message for action: The wider community needs to understand the issues behind their homelessness and avoid judging homeless youth as ‘deliquent’ and ‘street kids’.
4. A job alone is not the solution for youth homelessness
Can you imagine trying to maintain or find work when you have no stable living arrangement? Many young people are expected to secure and maintain a job without stable accommodation and support. Some people also believe that getting a job will resolve homelessness by providing an income but this does not acknowledge the underlying causes of homelessness in young people. Young people require safety and security, trust, and an appropriate support network for them to succeed at anything. The Australian Government has taken steps to reform the employment services sector to ensure that greater support is provided to young people who are homeless and job seeking however we must ensure that homelessness intervention is not simplified to nding a job as there are other reasons why young people are homeless. Key message for action: It is important that young people are able to access support to address the underlying causes of their homelessness whilst they are supported to secure appropriate education and/or employment.
5. How would you cope with school if you were homeless? There are nearly 10,000 homeless school students in Australia aged between 12 and 18 years old. In the Federal Government’s White Paper on Homelessness the government commits to the following:
Provide additional specialist support to children including brokerage funds to assist them to return to home and school.
Deliver additional services for up to 9,000 12–18 year olds at risk of homelessness to remain connected with their families, where it is safeand appropriate, as well as access to education, training and employment.
Traditionally, homeless youth and those at risk of family breakdown have struggled to fit into the usual school environment. Their attendance usually suffers along with their level of concentration. Many students struggle to maintain positive friendships and others become withdrawn or their behaviour becomes disruptive to other students. Some students will drop out of school and may need assistance to re-enter school once their accommodation becomes stable. In some cases this may mean additional tuition or temporary breaks from their education. Schools provide an excellent environment for early detection of risk factors that lead to homelessness and family breakdown. Therefore schools also provide an excellent avenue to assist families and young people to access appropriate support services to prevent homelessness. Key message for action: Specific strategies are needed to support homeless children and young people to maintain or re-engage with their education. Strategies are also needed to provide effective early intervention and prevention services to children at risk of homelessness. Accessed from the Youth Homelessness Matters website www.youthhomelessnessmatters.net
Referenced Sources:
The Road Home: A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness,Dec 2008; 2006/07 AIHW National SAAP Data Report published in 2008; Chamberlain and MacKenzie 2008 Counting the Homeless Report 2006, ABS
Additional Resources:
For a comprehensive list of homeless services go to: http://www.theoasismovie.com.au/help/links.php.
The Reach Out Teachers Network website http://teachers.reachoutpro.com.au provides information for teachers and other school staff on how to support a young person who is at risk of becoming homeless.