Youth homelessness has doubled in the past 20 years and it will take at least 300 million Australian dollars (276 million U.S. dollars) to fix the problem, The National Youth Commission's (NYC) Australia's Homeless Youth report said Tuesday.
The report said the number of homeless teenagers aged 12 to 18 has doubled to 22,000 in the last two decades. In total at least 36,000 young people under 25 are homeless on any given night.
The problem is so severe that 50 percent of young people seeking a bed in supported accommodation are turned away because services are full.
The commission held 21 separate hearings across the country and received 91 written submissions.
The report's release came almost 20 years after the last national inquiry into youth homelessness conducted by then Human Rights Commissioner Brian Burdekin in 1989, and the result showed the situation was getting worse.
According to the report, almost 50 percent of homeless youth seeking crisis accommodation told the commission a relationship breakdown with parents or step-parents was the main reason for their homelessness. Financial difficulty was cited by 32 percent of youths.
The report lays out a road map to solve the problem with a focus on early intervention and prevention.
But that will cost money -- 100 million Australian dollars (92 million U.S. dollars) in the first term of the Rudd government and an additional 20 million Australian dollars (18.4 million U.S. dollars) every year for 10 years after that.
The NYC also recommends a Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission inquiry be established into state care after "serious issues" were raised about the treatment of young people.
Source:Xinhua
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