A new report from Homelessness Australia has found that the number of children in Australia who are homeless, has increased to more than 25-thousand, accounting for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s homeless population.
Evidence indicates that in some instances children have been forced to ‘couch surf’ to escape domestic violence situations, with the dire state of housing affordability exacerbating the problem.
Kate Colvin, Chief Executive of Homelessness Australia, has described the current state of affairs as a national shame, urging the Federal Government to develop an action plan to unite various child-focused services.
Australia currently sits at 32 out of 38 OECD nations in a measure of child well-being.
Incoming Housing and Homelessness Minister Clare O’Neil, told a forum of homelessness experts that the task ahead was huge, but noted that an “avalanche of policy work” on the horizon would have an impact.