Calls for more government action to help prevent youth homelessness in WA
After finding himself without a home in his early 20s, Sully wants to help other young people get off the streets. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
In short:
Youth homelessness is becoming such an issue in Perth that on one average night earlier this month, services identified 73 young people sleeping rough, but only three available beds in crisis services.
Agencies say they have to regularly turn young people away because they cannot cope with the demand.
The Ending Child and Youth Homelessness coalition is asking for $150 million in additional state government support to better meet demand.
Sully knows much better than most how the dozens of young people sleeping rough in Western Australia each night feel.
Not too long ago, he was one of them.
It's left him with a deep understanding of the hidden crisis unfolding across Perth, and what is needed to fix it — including a boost to crisis accommodation for children and young people.
It is a call service providers part of the Ending Child and Youth Homelessness coalition, which Sully is involved with, hope the state government hears as it prepares this year's budget.
Downward spiral
Sully was 22 when he moved in with a partner in Fremantle because living with his parents wasn't safe.
Even still, he thought he could fall back on them if he needed.
But his downward spiral started — like it often does — when he turned to drugs.
At just 24, Sully has lived experience of homelessness and is now part of the Ending Child and Youth Homelessness coalition. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Later, an argument with his partner resulted in him spending the night at his mum and dad's home, where he used drugs.
"And Dad pretty much turned around and said 'well, you no longer have a home' here and slammed the door in my face," Sully recalled.
He returned to couch surfing and said he became more heavily addicted to drugs.
"Even though I had a roof over my head, I was still struggling every day," he said.
"I would still go back and use the drugs I was using because my biggest fear was when are they gonna kick me out?"
Turning point
At his lowest point he remembers telling his NDIS support worker: "I need help, and if not I'm gonna end it."
Shortly after, he said, he was moved into accommodation away from the negative influences which had contributed to his spiral.
"And that was the turning point for me," he said.
The Ending Child and Youth Homelessness coalition's mission is to get kids off the street and into homes. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Now sober and in stable accommodation, things are looking up.
Sully said that could have happened earlier though, if he had been able to access crisis accommodation, which can often give people a base from which to access other services or to find work.
"Sometimes people that are experiencing homelessness, all we need is someone to give us a chance, to prove our strengths, to prove that we're just like everyone else,"Sully said.
"Just because we're homeless, it doesn't mean we don't deserve a better life, because we do."
Early intervention crucial
Youth homelessness support services say Sully's story is common — and that earlier intervention would make a big difference.
An audit of the system on a typical night earlier this month by the Ending Child and Youth Homelessness coalition identified 73 young people sleeping rough — but only three beds in crisis services, which provide a path from the streets to longer-term housing.
Mission Australia's Youth Accommodation Support Services is one of the agencies which has had to turn young people away, able to support just 10 per cent of the 600 who asked for help last year.
"By the time they come to our service, they have exhausted all other options," Mission Australia's homelessness regional leader Elise Jorgensen said.
Elise Jorgensen says it is appalling her service has to turn young people away. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
"It is appalling that we live in WA, that we have children and young people that come to an adult and say 'I need something now' … and we say, call us tomorrow and we might have a bed.
"But the chances are, we probably don't."
The coalition is asking for $150 million in extra support from the WA government, including for more crisis beds, a social housing target of 5,000 each year and further prevention and early intervention efforts.
They point to the 320 children and young people aged between 16 and 25 who were listed by services as being homeless earlier this month as evidence of that need.
'We need to see action'
In a statement, Homelessness Minister Matthew Swinbourn said he, and the state government, were taking the issue seriously.
Matthew Swinbourn is the state government's homelessness minister. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
"We currently fund more than 130 services to deliver critical homelessness supports across WA, with more than $25 million invested in accommodation and support services to assist young people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness as part of our most recent state budget," he said.
"These measures form part of our record $6.3 billion investment since 2021 in housing and homelessness initiatives.
"Our government works closely with services providers to get young people into secure housing and will continue listening to them and addressing their concerns."
But those on the frontline said that was not enough, as shown by the scale of unmet need.
"We've got a state budget coming up," Shelter WA CEO Kath Snell said.
"The information's out there, it's really clear what we need and now we need to see action in this state budget."
Kath Snell wants to see more in the budget to help get people into homes. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)
Sully said it was frustrating to hear about the government's spending — and its huge surpluses — when children were still sleeping rough.
He said it added to the feeling that "no one cares".
"Because you see that all these things are being built, but the things that actual (sic) need to be built and that actual (sic) will save lives isn't happening," he said.