Young people struggle for social housing access

Young people who receive Youth Allowance are struggling to access social housing due to a significant pay gap in benefits compared to older adults. This situation has been described as the "youth housing penalty." Community housing organizations earn far less for housing these young tenants than for older jobseekers or pensioners, making it less attractive for them to offer accommodation to younger individuals. Many young people facing homelessness, like a man named Ryn, find it difficult to secure stable housing. Ryn left home at 16 to escape family violence and has struggled to find long-term housing since. He describes the fear and uncertainty of living on the streets and bouncing between youth refuges. The rules state that housing providers earn about 30% less when taking in young people under 22 compared to adults over that age. If they house a youth instead of a pensioner, the income drops by about 46%. Shorna Moore, a supporter of the HomeTime campaign, highlights that young people are often priced out of the private rental market, leaving them with limited options. As a result, youth refuges like Frontyard in Melbourne are seeing an increase in numbers. Many at-risk young people, including students who once had stable housing, are now turning to these services. Frontline worker Olly reports that young people often find themselves in unsafe motel situations when refuges can't accommodate them. With a federal election approaching, there is a growing call from over 160 organizations for lawmakers to create more youth-focused tenancies. The HomeTime coalition urges the government to build 15,000 dedicated housing units for young people. Senator David Pocock adds that there is a need for more political support for these initiatives. Advocates, including members of the Greens party, believe that the demand for youth housing is even higher and suggest a target of 20,000 tenancies. Meanwhile, the opposition housing spokesperson, Michael Sukkar, underscores the importance of addressing youth homelessness. The Albanese government has not yet responded to inquiries about the situation.