Young People Who Are Homeless: The Importance of Location and Place

1
Young People Who Are Homeless The Importance of
Location and Place

• David Wright-Howie
• Policy Officer
• Council to Homeless Persons

2
Food for Thought

• Australia is a nation of suburbs. Social
  geographic analysis confirms that suburban
  Australia is becoming increasingly self
  contained.
• In metropolitan Australia, public spending on key
  social and cultural institutions is
  overwhelmingly focused on the inner cities.
• A huge gulf exists between where the bulk of our
  people live and where the majority of social
  investment occurs.
• Brendan Gleeson, Professor of Urban Management
  and Policy, Griffith University

3
Introduction

• Young people are young people and homelessness is
  a circumstance.
• Where are young people now and in the future?
• What does location reveal about the needs of
  young people?
• Planning required to ensure there are services
  for young people where they are.

4
Estimated Number of Young People Aged 15-19 in
Victoria 2001-2031
5
Location of Young People in Victoria 2001-2031

• Young people aged 15-19 in Victoria
• 2001
  2031 /-
• Urban Fringe 71,816 89,828
  25.1
• Rest of Melbourne 160,576 145,160 -9.6
• Metro Fringe Border 11,927 13,119
  10.0
• Regional Centres 47,340 48,087
  1.6
• Rural 34,770
  26,783 -23.0

6
LGA Fast Movers, 2001-2031 Young people aged
15-19

• 2001 2031 /-
• Melton 4,368 11,137 155.0
• Cardinia 3,459 8,488
  145.4
• Melbourne 5,168 10,362 100.5
• Wyndham 6,491 11,475 76.8
• Bass Coast 1,429 1,923 34.6
• Mitchell 2,233 2,894 29.6
• Whittlesea 8,940 11,495 28.6

7
LGA Metro Areas Decline in numbers of young
people 2001-2031

• 2001 2031 /-
• Knox 11,187 7,764 -30.7
• Darebin 6,991 5,020 -28.2
• Nillumbik 5,211 3,871 -25.7
• Brimbank 12,765 9,621 -24.6
• Moreland 7,238 5,654 -21.9
• Yarra 2,836 2,331 -17.8

8
Selected Regional LGA Young people aged 15-19

• 2001 2031 /-
• Surf Coast 1,254 1,624 29.5
• Warnambool 2,140 2,488 16.3
• Wodonga 2,692 3,127 16.2
• Shepparton 4,199 4,809 14.5
• La Trobe 5,398 3,431 -36.4
• Wellington 3,052 2,055 -32.7
• Wangaratta 1,886 1,433 -24.0

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Location of High Numbers of Young People Aged
15-19 2001 2031

• 2001 2031
• 1. Greater Geelong 1. Casey
• 2. Casey 2. Greater Geelong
• 3. Brimbank 3. Whittlesea
• 4. Knox 4. Wyndham
• 5. Yarra Ranges 5. Melton

10
Why Population Shifts?

• Urban geographers refer to push and pull factors
  (more push than pull)
• Housing affordability for young families
• Housing choices by some
• Regional employment opportunities for some
• Decline in opportunities and services for young
  people in rural and regional Victoria.

11
Recorded Homeless population Victoria

• 23,713 people recorded including marginal
  residents in caravan parks.
• 9,682 (48) of recorded homeless population in
  Victoria under the age of 24.
• Increased by 14 since 1996
• Lower rate than most other states and territories
• Higher proportion of people in homelessness
  assistance accommodation than other states.
• Homelessness present in all regions.

12
Living circumstances of recorded homeless
population in Victoria

• 1,871 (8) living on the streets, cars, squats,
  tents and other improvised dwellings.
• 8,024 (34) living temporarily with
  friends/family (couch surfing)
• 5,146 (22) living in homelessness assistance
  accommodation.
• 5,264 (22) living in boarding houses
• 3,408 (14) living as marginal residents in
  caravan parks.

13
Regional Homelessness in Victoria

• Evidence of increasing homelessness on the Urban
  Fringe of Metropolitan Melbourne and Regional
  Victoria.
• This includes marginal residents in caravan
  parks.
• Examples
• Mildura, East Gippsland, Greater Shepparton,
  Frankston City, Mornington Peninsula

14
Regional Homelessness in Victoria

• Over 42 of the recorded homeless population were
  in Inner and Middle Melbourne.
• People who are homeless migrate to the inner city
  looking for accommodation, employment and
  services.
• The inner city is where more services are
  located.

15
Homelessness in Victoria

• People who are homeless are mobile especially
  young people.
• We do not have evidence at this point about the
  community of origin of people who are homeless.
• However, we do know where young people are living
  and likely to live in the future.

16
Environment for young people on the Urban Fringe
and in Regional Victoria

• Housing often isolated from services
• Poor transport links
• Low supply of affordable rental housing
• Lack of, or access to, entertainment or youth
  specific centres.
• Locational disadvantage in accessing educational
  facilities

17
What needs to happen

• In a an ageing society where resources will
  increasingly flow to older people, services to
  young people need to be valued and planned for.
• Planning for services for young people should
  occur where young people are.
• Recognition should be made by policy makers of
  the circumstances of young people on the urban
  fringe and in regional towns.

18
What needs to happen

• Local services need to be available for
  vulnerable young people, at risk of homelessness,
  to ensure they are not forced to leave their
  community.
• Governments at all levels must ensure services
  for young people are resourced and planned for.
• Local government, while the least resourced, can
  be an advocate for young people, especially those
  with high youth populations.