Tonight, and every night, young people in Greater Hobart are forced to face the cold, harsh night alone because they do not have a roof over their heads.
The reality of youth homelessness is becoming more complex, more desperate and more widespread.
Between the 2006 and 2021 Censuses, child and youth homelessness in Tasmania increased by 42.6%, by far the biggest increase in the country.
The same Census revealed more than 1400 young Tasmanians aged 10-24 presented to specialist homelessness services, without a carer or guardian. Of even greater concern, 372 children under 10 sought help.
We know from experience that those numbers are likely to have increased dramatically in the years since.
Recently, Colony 47 has seen an unprecedented influx of children as young as 12 seeking shelter at our facilities.
Among them was a child who attended a prestigious private school by day, but had nowhere to sleep at night, highlighting the stark reality that this societal scourge does not discriminate.
But insecure housing and homelessness sits at the heart of so many of the challenges Greater Hobart is facing, including educational attainment, youth unemployment, youth justice and mental health.
We are treating the individual symptoms of a problem, but not the root cause.
Without secure housing and adequate support, young people experiencing homelessness struggle to stay connected to education or work, look after their health, and maintain social and community connections.
That is why Colony 47 is a Foundation Member of the Committee for Greater Hobart. The challenges these young people are facing don’t sit with one level of government or one agency or department. They are spread across council boundaries and societal demographics. They require holistic, apolitical thought to tackle them.
The Committee’s approach to looking at the interconnectedness of the region’s challenges and working with all levels of government, stakeholders and the community to address them is unique and vitally important. It also reflects the approach we must take to address the current support system for young people experiencing homelessness, which is fundamentally broken.
Frontline homelessness services like Colony 47’s are designed and funded to provide temporary crisis support, but they have become a revolving door because long-term housing options for young people simply do not exist.
The current business model for social housing means many mainstream providers struggle to house young people because they have low and insecure incomes and often need wrap-around support. And private rental is unaffordable for people on youth wages or Youth Allowance.
Children and young people need wrap-around support because they do not have the same level of development, coping strategies or resources as adults. That makes them more vulnerable and their experiences more dangerous.
Tasmania urgently needs a stand-alone youth homelessness strategy and dedicated youth housing models to complement investments in social housing.
We will use our membership of the Committee for Greater Hobart to raise awareness, break stereotypes, and advocate for greater supports for young people experiencing homelessness. We also want our community to acknowledge that this shameful problem is not hopeless – it can be fixed.
Colony 47 is always looking for private sector partners who are willing to collaborate on innovative models of housing and support.
The strength of the Committee is that it includes a range of stakeholders that share a commitment to improving outcomes for the people of greater Hobart – including the youngest and most vulnerable members of society.
Together we have networks that reach far across different sectors of industry and community.
I am convinced that by leveraging those networks we can achieve outcomes that may otherwise seem out of reach.
If we don’t act now and intervene early to stop young people ricocheting from one homelessness program to the next, we will create more homeless adults in the future.
If you are interested in joining us to develop a plan for the future liveability of Greater Hobart, enquire about membership today.
