Partnerships the Key to Ending Youth Homelessness
24 November 2011 at 10:05 am
Partnerships between specialist youth homelessness services, community organisations, Juvenile Justice and other government agencies is the key to ending youth homelessness, the Chief Executive of Juvenile Justice, John Hubby has told a national conference in Sydney.
“While there is no one answer to youth homelessness, we know that connections between Juvenile Justice and community organisations to accommodate and support at risk young people and young offenders are integral to ending youth homelessness.
“A key protective factor to entering custody is stable accommodation,” John Hubby told the End Youth Homelessness Conference 2011 in his speech on young people in the juvenile justice system and risk factors, including homelessness.
“Unfortunately we know that one third of young people in custody have a history of unstable accommodation. However, it is with a sense of optimism that I look at the great work being done to ensure that this number decreases, including the current partnerships like SWITCH and JTAP.”
The conference was attended by over 200 youth workers, specialist homelessness services, young people, State and Commonwealth government agencies and community workers from around Australia.
Connections between non-government and government departments and opportunities for engagement with the community were discussed at the conference on Wednesday, which is being held from the 23-24 November at the Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach.
The End Youth Homelessness Conference 2011 is hosted by Yfoundations, the peak body in NSW that aims to end youth homelessness, give a voice to the needs of homeless and at-risk youth and build pathways out of homelessness through advocacy, public policy and support for specialist youth homelessness services.
Brett Paradise, Co-President of Yfoundations said “while we often focus on the work still to be done, it is important also to look at the many partnerships in practice and celebrate the great work already being done in the sector.
“This conference provides a space to come together and focus on the many achievements in the sector since our last conference in 2009”.
