Just weeks after Western Australia marked Youth Week, frontline homelessness services are warning the state is facing a growing crisis among children and young people one many in the community still do not see.
While this year’s Youth Week theme, Strength in Our Stories, celebrated the voices, resilience and leadership of young people, organisations working directly with vulnerable youth say too many stories are still shaped by homelessness, family violence, trauma and housing insecurity.
According to Vinnies WA, the situation across Perth and Peel is becoming increasingly dire, with demand for youth homelessness services continuing to outpace available support.
Vinnies WA’s Passages Youth Engagement Hubs supported 750 young people in 2025, with 39 per cent reporting they were sleeping rough.
For Chrissie Smith, Director of Specialist Community Services at Vinnies WA, the figures represent more than statistics.
“Youth homelessness is a far less visible crisis, and so too is the hidden harm that these young people endure,” Ms Smith said.
“Many of these young people are carrying experiences of trauma, abuse and severe distress, often while trying to survive day to day without stable housing or support.”
Passages provides low-barrier support for young people aged 12 to 25 experiencing or at risk of homelessness and social exclusion. Operating in Perth and Peel, the hubs offer safe spaces, meals, referrals and access to youth workers trained in trauma-informed care.
But despite the support available, Ms Smith said one of the most heartbreaking realities facing staff was having to turn young people away due to a lack of accommodation.
“There were countless times where youth workers had to tell a young person that no accommodation was available for them that night,” she said.
“Our staff are often left wondering whether that young person will be safe, or whether they will see them again.”
The crisis extends well beyond housing instability.
Data collected by Passages during the 2024/25 financial year revealed one in five unaccompanied children and young people accessing the service reported experiences of abuse, including family and domestic violence, emotional abuse and financial exploitation. Many also disclosed episodes of severe anxiety, suicide attempts, panic attacks and overdoses.
Sector organisations say a critical shortage of youth crisis accommodation remains one of the biggest barriers to addressing the issue.
A joint 60-day snapshot conducted by organisations including Mission Australia, Indigo Junction, MercyCare and Anglicare WA found an average of 69 young people were competing for just 1.83 available youth crisis beds across metropolitan Perth.
“With rising rental costs far beyond the reach of many young people on Youth Allowance, the situation continues to worsen,” Ms Smith said.
“If we, as a community and as governments, do not invest in early intervention and prevention, we are not ending homelessness, we are perpetuating it.”
In response to the escalating crisis, Vinnies WA has joined forces with Mission Australia, Indigo Junction and other sector partners through the Ending Child and Youth Homelessness campaign, which aims to drive greater collaboration, amplify lived experience voices and advocate for targeted government investment.
The urgency is growing.
Figures show the number of unaccompanied children and young people experiencing homelessness in Western Australia surged by a further 17 per cent over the past year to 830 young people.
For Ms Smith, the message following Youth Week is simple.
“Now is the time to listen to young people. Now is the time to act,” she said.
“We need to restore hope to our children and young people, so they don’t become the next generation to experience adult homelessness.”
By Hearts and Minds
