Youth homelessness figures are on the rise throughout the region, including Moree, and unless something is done they will continue to grow, according to New England Regional Sustainable Housing and Homelessness (NERSHH) Group coordinator Ros Laws.
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In an attempt to raise awareness about the issue of youth homelessness in the area, a number of local service providers banded together on Wednesday, offering free hotdogs, goody bags and a chance to chat, as part of National Youth Homelessness Matters Day.
The event was run by Moree Area Homelessness Services (MAHS) and supported by Moree Family Support, Miyay Birray, Homes North Community Housing and NERSHH.
“All services here today deal face-to-face with youth and see an increasing amount of youth homelessness, especially under 16s,” Ms Laws said.
“If we don’t bring it to everyone’s attention, it can be something they don’t see.”
With 43 per cent of Australia's homeless population under 25, youth homelessness is a big issue and one that is often hidden – only three per cent of young Australians are sleep on the street.
MAHS operations manager Jo Williams said ‘couch surfing’ is not uncommon in Moree.
“In Moree there’s a reasonable amount of children that aren’t staying at home; they’re staying with friends or other family members just to be safe,” she said. “There are a lot of youth that can’t be at home, that find it safer to be somewhere else.”
Ms Williams said the main aim of Youth Homelessness Matters Day is to raise awareness that adults aren’t the only people to experience homelessness.
“The whole idea is awareness that kids need a safe place to be and to sleep at night,” she said. “It’s all about awareness for youth that are doing it tough, sleeping rough or on the streets.”
As well as raising awareness about youth homelessness in the region, Ms Laws said service providers hoped the event would be a chance to gain feedback from the community about services they’d like to see.
For years there has been a push to establish a youth refuge in Moree, with Armidale and Tamworth currently the closest refuges for young people, but this won’t happen without statistical data to back up a need.
There are a number of service providers in Moree who can help young people who may be going through a difficult time, and Ms Williams encourages people to speak up if they know of a child who may be sleeping rough.
“There are support services within the community for these kids but if we don’t know about them it’s hard for us to provide support,” Ms Williams said.
