Youth homeless shelter forced to turn away 80 per cent of clients

The only youth homeless shelter in a 700km radius has seen a surge in young people reaching out to its service, though one age bracket is almost guaranteed to fall through the cracks.

outh services stretched to the brink amid homelessness crisis. Photo: istock

The only youth homeless shelter in a 700km radius has seen a surge in young people reaching out to its service, though one age bracket is almost guaranteed to fall through the cracks.

Latest data from peak community service body QCOSS showed that over 1600 youth under the age of 19 reached out to a homeless service in the 2022-2023 financial year.

But it’s the 15 to 17 year olds that have the non-for-profits really worried.

As minors, they can’t link in with Community Accommodation and Support Agency’s (CASA) crisis accommodation and at 15 they’re too young to get into Mackay only youth shelter, Kalyan Youth Service.

“Bye are the days where you could go to a real estate agency and say ‘go give us three sets of keys, let’s see which one we can move into’,” Kalyan Housing Services Manager, Louise O’Brien said.

“Young people can’t find leases at 16 and 17 years of age.”

In the space of a year, Kalyan Youth Service in Mackay has seen 267 rough sleepers between 16 and 25 years old seek shelter in one of their 12 beds.

This lack of accommodation meant up to 80 per cent of their clients were turned away.

“It’s very concerning,” Ms O’Brien said.

“It purely comes down to there not being enough accommodation available to house young people who are requiring it.

Louis O’Brien says Kalyan Youth Service is in need of more beds to respond to a surge in youth seeking shelter.

“We’re left in a situation where our main aim is to reunify them with family, whether it be immediate family, could be extended family, whoever it is, as long as it’s safe for them to return to that family.”

Dr Katrina Lines, Chief Executive Officer for Act for Kids, a child protection organisation, said the reason why young people in these age groups end up in their services are because of breakdowns in the family home, and it’s not unique to Mackay.

“We see this across the country,” she said.

“If their family situation is difficult, if families themselves are homeless, if there’s domestic and family violence in the house, if there’s parental substance misuse, then kids from 15 to 17 often self place.

“They’ll leave home to be safer.”

Photo: iStock

More than 2000 requests for help last year prompted Act for Kids to expand into their new facility in Paget last Friday after “seeing an overwhelming need for safe and stable housing across the Mackay”.

The new facility will add a third program aimed at providing specialised help for domestic and family violence, mental health, substance usage, household functioning and family relationships.

As a not-for-profit organisation, Kalyan house is funded under the Crisis Accommodation Program which injects funds to either purchase units, or houses, or to utilise state owned land to build purpose built facilities.

“I would like to see another purpose built facility on a location close to our youth service,” Ms O’Brien said.

Andrew Willcox MP and Nigel Dalton MP were there with Act for Kids Director of Family Support Services Northern Julie Inskip to welcome the new Paget facility , March 7, 2025. Photo: Melanie Whiting

Local MP Nigel Dalton admitted there was a need for work to be done in the area but said he “doesn’t want it to be a flash in the pan”.

His party has taken a crime prevention approach to youth issues since last year’s election announcing $100 million for Early Intervention programs.

Mr Dalton said the holistic approach will include a ‘Back on Track’ program which provides young juveniles with 12 months supervision by a case manager during and after being released from detention.

“We want to make sure it’s right and we want to make sure it’s the best for the young people to support them through this time which they’re in crisis and hopefully deliver,” he said.

Frontline youth support officer Chris Martin from YIRS said he has seen improvements in areas where young people were being forced to commit “survival crimes” due to homelessness.

“From what we’ve seen the statistics have gone down in that area,” he said.

“The contributing factor is more family breakdown in the family home and mental health,” he said.

Ms O’Brien encouraged those in the meantime who can’t access a local shelter to contact the homeless hotline or other services in Gympie, Brisbane and Townsville who provide crisis accommodation for young people.