More than 20 community organisations have joined an appeal urging Victoria’s next government to make youth homelessness a priority at the state election.
Led by mental health service Orygen and Melbourne City Mission, the open letter calls for greater support for young people experiencing homelessness alongside serious mental health difficulties.
The coalition is seeking a commitment to provide medium-term supported accommodation for people aged between 16 and 26, with services available across metropolitan, regional and rural Victoria.
Call for action on youth homelessness in Victoria
The letter says young people are being caught in a damaging cycle involving emergency departments, crisis accommodation and rough sleeping.
“Every day, young people with complex and serious mental health conditions cycle between emergency departments, crisis accommodation and rough sleeping,” it says.
It warns that some present with suicide-related behaviours, repeated self-harm, trauma, substance abuse and escalating distress, but leave acute care without a safe place to stay.
Research cited in the letter indicates a strong link between young people sleeping rough and emergency hospital admissions. One in four rough-sleeping young people had required six or more hospital admissions in the previous year.
“These young people are falling through a gap between systems,” the letter says, arguing that mental health and housing services are often unable to meet the needs of those facing acute risks.
The signatories include Orygen executive director Pat McGorry, Melbourne City Mission chief executive Paul Wappett and Mental Health Victoria leader Phillipa Thomas.
As well as funding supported accommodation, the coalition is calling for pathways into stable, long-term housing and a clear implementation timetable setting out funding, milestones, accountability measures and outcomes reporting.
“Victoria has the evidence, the recommendations and the service partners ready to act,” the letter concludes. “What is needed now, is a clear political commitment to ensure young people experiencing homelessness and mental ill health are no longer left to cycle through crisis systems without a safe place to recover.”
Victoria is due to go to the polls on Saturday, November 28.
