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15-Apr-2025 | Housing & Homelessness

SYC Youth Homelessness Matters Day 2025

Youth Homelessness Matters Day (YHMD) is a national awareness campaign, held annually on the third Wednesday of April. Established in 1990, YHMD shines a spotlight on the often-overlooked issue of child and youth homelessness, encouraging public discussion and action.

At SYC, we are committed to supporting young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness through a range of services — including The Foundry, our purpose-built youth hub. Since opening in 2022, The Foundry has been a safe and welcoming space where young people can form positive connections, and gain the confidence to shape their futures.

In 2023–24, more than 42,000 children and young people under 25 presented alone to homelessness services in Australia. The vast majority needed short- or long-term accommodation — and many were turned away due to limited capacity.

“I remember within the first week of working at The Foundry, having to give out my first sleeping bag to a young person that was rough sleeping that night. I remember feeling a great sense of injustice for them, it baffled me how there are not enough options for young people experiencing homelessness.”
— Lucy, Team Leader at The Foundry

At The Foundry, we aim to bridge that gap. We provide access to food relief, laundry and shower facilities, RentRight SA – Youth Tenancy Advisors, and our Life Stuff program, which builds independent living and interpersonal skills. Our open-access model and passionate youth engagement team work side-by-side with young people to help them discover their purpose, improve their wellbeing, and feel seen.

“The staff at The Foundry are always willing to sit with you to make phone calls when I’m too nervous or just being available to listen to your problems without being too solutions focussed.”
— Young person at The Foundry

Couch surfing remains a hidden crisis — in 2022–23, nearly one in three young people who presented alone to homelessness services had been couch surfing. Many others don’t reach out for help at all.

“One of the biggest misconceptions about youth homelessness is that there are enough options when a young person becomes homeless. Other adults I speak with when I tell them there are no vacancies for the night are always shocked. I guess it’s that expectation on societal level that young people shouldn’t be left without a place to go, and they are right! But unfortunately, that is the reality, and we all need to be advocating and agitating to do more around this.”
— Lucy, Team Leader at The Foundry

To mark YHMD 2025, we asked a young person at The Foundry what advice they would give to others going through homelessness:

“Don’t give up – it’s easy to want to but you’ll be stuck forever otherwise. Life isn’t going to be perfect, there will always be setbacks and might take a while to get where you want to be. A small win is still a win, it’s about your mindset. Focus on what is working for you."

Homelessness is rarely just about the lack of a bed. Many young people facing homelessness are escaping domestic or family violence. Half are dealing with mental health challenges. A third are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. These young people need more than shelter — they need support, connection, life skills, and opportunities to thrive.

To learn more about Youth Homelessness Matters Day, visit www.yfoundations.org.a...;

To learn more about The Foundry by SYC, visit www.syc.net.au/service...;