Report: Children and homelessness in WA

Hunger and Shame: When Basic Needs Become Barriers for Young Australians
No one should have to choose between food and safety, yet too many young Australians do. One young person, feeling ashamed to ask for help, revealed they stopped eating after 10 a.m. because finding a safe, accessible public toilet was out of reach. This is a heartbreaking reality we cannot ignore. It’s time for real change to support young lives with dignity, safety, and access to essentials.

Our Children and Homelessness in Western Australia captures the critical insights of frontline workers and those with lived experience on the impact of housing instability on children and young people.

We asked: What happens to children when stable housing isn’t available? The results highlight powerful voices and urgent themes:

🔹 Food & Essentials
🔹 Education & Early Learning
🔹 Belonging & Community
🔹 Justice & Child Protection
🔹 Family Life
🔹 Utilities & Access to Services
🔹 Income & Employment

Our group shared messages for those in power:
“We are hopeful. We are angry. We demand better. We want real, actionable change.”

Our workshop for the report also produced powerful Letters to the Ministers Cards, Posters on Children and Homelessness in WA, and Storytelling Cards—capturing real voices and experiences to drive change.

Read their personal letters, stories, and call for change in the full report, which brings to light the faces and realities behind homelessness inaction.