Mallee Accommodation and Support Program (MASP) has acknowledged today’s World Youth Homelessness Matters Day as a day to shine a light on the resilience of young people affected by or at risk of homelessness.
Youth Homelessness Matters Day falls on the third Wednesday of April each year and was conceived in 1990 to raise awareness and public discussion about child and youth homelessness.
MASP CEO Charmaine Calis said the day aligns closely with MASP’s work in the Mallee community as a leading homelessness service provider for young people.
“Our staff work closely with young people facing homelessness each and every day,” she said.
“Our Housing Access Workers see around 150 young people a year who are either without a roof over their head or facing that situation. These are young people who are perhaps couch surfing with friends and relatives, looking to escape potentially violent homes, living in their cars or transitioning from place to place without somewhere to call home.”
Nationwide, more than 43,000 children and young people under the age of 25 presented alone to a homelessness service in 2023–24.
“I call on the people of the Mallee and Far West NSW to sign this petition to make it known to Governments that the community wants real action to help solve our Youth Homelessness crisis,” Mrs Calis said.
The petition can be signed at https://www.yfoundations.org.au/yhmd-petition/
