Homelessness education needs to start at Year 5 and 6, Mission Australia state director Noel Mundy says

MORE than one in six young people in South Australia who responded to a major survey have experienced homelessness.

MORE than one in six young respondents to a South Australian survey has experienced homelessness.

The report, by charity Mission Australia, has led to calls for education on the issue to start as early as primary school.

Findings from its 2017 Youth Survey reveal the extent of hidden homelessness for South Australian youth – couch-surfing, living in refuges and transitional accommodation – is higher than the national average.

Of the 21,812 nationally who answered the survey questions on homelessness, nearly one in six reported having been homeless with or without their family.

The South Australian figure was more than one in six, though the highest rate of homelessness was experienced by Northern Territory youths – one in three.

Nationally, one in ten respondents revealed they had couch-surfed at some point.

Mission Australia state director Noel Mundy said children should be taught about homelessness as early as years 5 and 6.

“By the time a young person gets to 15 or 16, if they’re experiencing homelessness, they’re almost entrenched in the system,” Mr Mundy said.

“There does need to be a lot of collaboration between state and federal government to address these issues,” he said.

Mr Mundy said it was important to close the “really big gaps” in employment and concern about family violence between those who’d experienced homelessness and those who hadn’t – because they become lifelong issues.

For all youth in SA, 47 per cent perceived barriers to achieving their work and study goals – that figure rose to 70 per cent for the homeless.

Almost half who reported homelessness also met the criteria for probable serious mental illness, compared with 19 per cent of youths overall.

Some of the key recommendations from Mission Australia’s report Young People’s Experiences of Homelessness include:
A NATIONAL homelessness strategy.
INVEST in prevention, early intervention and outreach.
EDUCATION for young people at risk of homelessness.
PREVENTING young people exiting state care into homelessness.
REHOUSING young people who experience homelessness and supporting them to maintain that housing.