FAMILY violence, sexual assault and family breakdown remain the main causes of youth homelessness, according to the manager of an Altona-based support service for people in Hobsons Bay and Moonee Valley.
Rhonda Collins, who heads Latitude: Directions for Young People, which is part-funded by the Department of Human Services, said the hidden homeless were the theme of National Homeless Persons’ Week, which continues until Sunday.
Next Tuesday, Hobsons Bay councillors Angela Altair and Luba Grigorovitch will sleep on a couch in the civic centre in Altona to raise $10,000 for Latitude.
Ms Collins said it was unknown how many young people were couch surfing. “While we’ve got about 175 people on the current priority waiting list [for housing] across Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Wyndham and Moonee Valley, we don’t know how many aren’t actually accessing services.”
Ms Collins said homelessness was often wrapped in other issues. “The biggest one hasn’t changed and that’s the experience of family violence, family breakdown, sexual assault.”
Cr Grigorovitch said an estimated one in 200 people were homeless in Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Wyndham and Moonee Valley.
Donations can be made to Latitude by a cheque made payable to Latitude: Directions for Young People or by electronic transfer to Bendigo Bank, BSB: 633000, Account: 1366 122 07, Reference: Couch.
For more information about Latitude, contact Ms Collins on 9315 0061 or email rhonda.collins@latitudedirections.org.au.
