YAA 2007

1970’s Homeless Person Assistance Program (HPAP) – mainly for adult homeless services.$ 1985 – 2012 National Supported Accommodation Assistance Program SAAP (support) & CAP (property).

1979 – 1985 National Youth Services Scheme (YSS) for ‘runaways’ and ‘street kids’.

2012 National / State funding through National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) & National Partnership Agreement Homelessness (NPAH).

Youth Homelessness Allowance1986$ Initially young people had to wait 6

weeks before they could access the money. The waiting period was removed in 1990.

There was a lot of controversy associated with this by family groups and parents who thought it broke down the family unit. ’.

The first youth refuges that were set up in early 1970’s and early 1980s were like suburban family homes - as a rejection

of the large institutions and shelters.

Wollongong Youth Refuge August 1980

from Wollongong Youth Refuge Annual Staff Report August 1980

…..initially they were run by community volunteers and house parents

In the late 1970s …

with funding …came paid

youth workers.

 So by the early 1980s… gradually as volunteers were replaced by paid staff … workers became unionised … volunteers remained involved as members of management committees and boards.

YAA 2007

In the media Youth Homelessness was a ‘contested’ space’

YAA 2007

Youth Refuges and the youth allowance were accused of making it easy for young people to leave home.

Often in the media young people were blamed for their homelessness.

In the sector there was lots of talk about ‘social justice’ and the ‘system’

Some thought they were outside the ‘system’ and were there to advocate for young people in regards to the ‘system’

..or ‘Agents of the State’ dressed in Levis ?.

YAA 2007

From a statement of philosophy from a service in Nth NSW 1986:

“as workers we are committed to understanding how young people are oppressed in our society and as a result of this understanding, taking action to ensure that all young people we come in contact with are treated as fully human, equal and much respected

members of society … in reality young people intelligent, zestful, powerful cooperative vital to the

world and loving toward each other …any appearance to the contrary are merely the effects of past

mistreatment and unresolved pain … as a united force, lets break the chain of pain and uncover the

reality!”

Solidarity

A call for social justice.

A rights based approach for support and

housing for young people

Advocacy for more resources for young

people and youth homelessness services.

A unified youth sector position around best

models and practices.

YAA 2007