Shortage of beds put youth in crisis

Homeless young people are being turned away from the region’s only refuge because of a chronic shortage of beds, according to Albany Youth Support Service Association manager Julie Yusop.

The association’s homeless shelter, Young House, provides six single beds to those in desperate need of a safe place to sleep.

Young House accommodated 43 young people in the past year, but staff were forced to turn away a further 45 during the same period due to a shortage of accommodation.

“Young people have ended up being given tents or swags so they could go to a caravan park,” Ms Yusop said.

“They continue to go from friend to friend couch surfing until they wear out their welcome, or there is the odd house around Albany people squat in.

“It is quite alarming and pretty dismal.”

Young House is the only refuge for homeless young people in the region and often supports youth from Denmark and Mt Barker.

“Young House is supposed to be short-term crisis accommodation but we have had people here for up to a year trying to deal with the crises in their life,” she said.

Ms Yusop said Young House frequently experienced “bottle-necks” where there is nowhere for the young person to go after Young House.

She said a growing need for affordable housing in Albany was compounding the problem for young people who had difficulty securing a rental tenancy.

“As much as possible we work to prevent young people becoming homeless, to reconcile with family, but unfortunately for the young people who are accommodated with our services, there is no option,” Ms Yusop said.

“At the moment we only have access to six or seven community housing units in Albany that are priority based on those imminently at risk of becoming homeless … because people can rent those for up to two years we have a waiting list for up to two years.”

Ms Yusop said it was “very difficult” to turn young people away.

“We try as much as possible to find somewhere else for them but if we are full we just can’t take any more,” she said.

Ms Yusop said a potential hostel for those studying or working who are unable to secure a tenancy in Albany’s tight rental market could offer support, but would not be enough to provide a solution.

“We have identified a property which would be perfect for longer term accommodation for this group of young people and we are investigating collaborations to make this into a reality,” she said.

Negative image puts young at risk

Albany’s Jason Addis has never slept on the streets, but he is exposed to youth homelessness on an almost daily basis.

The 19-year-old has lived in Albany all his life and says youth homelessness is a “huge problem”.

Mr Addis started working at Albany Youth Support Association a year ago after struggling to secure a rental property, despite family support and steady work. “It was never really that evident when I was at school but as soon as I started working with young people I realised it is so prevalent,” he said.

“When I started going for rentals it was so difficult and I had a steady job … for young people going through crisis it is impossible to get a property.

“There is a negative image and prejudice around young people that they will trash your house or they are all derelicts, but that is just a stereotype.”

Mr Addis has contact with about 50 at-risk young people a week across the association’s various support programs, but said he suspected there were many more out there.

“I only see the people who come through Young House,” he said.

“I imagine there are tonnes more who don’t come to us.”