'Gut-wrenching': kids shut out from homeless support

The growing group of 12 to 17-year-olds makes up almost one in five of all clients to these services, according to the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data released on Tuesday.

But there are few resources and even fewer beds or safe houses to provide respite. 

In fact, around three in four children aged 12 to 17 who were homeless when they came to services for help were still homeless after their support ended.

Homelessness Australia chief executive Kate Colvin says more needs to be done to equip services so they can give these children the appropriate support, and to prevent the vast majority ending up homeless or returning to unsafe situations.

Separate figures show children who received support from specialist homelessness services in the decade to 2023 accounted for one in 13 deaths among Australian children.

"It's unthinkable that children are homeless and alone, and services don't have the resources to meet their needs," Ms Colvin said.

Melbourne City Mission's Shorna Moore said a national action plan is needed to set up systems that identify children at risk and prevent them from getting to a point of crisis.

Investment in support and housing for children trapped in homelessness was essential, she added. 

"For a child to turn up or to be known by services and still die is gut-wrenching," Ms Moore told AAP.

"These children who are without any protective family or guardians have really been invisible in the homelessness system up until this point."

Ryn was just 12 years old when he first ran away from home.

"I grew up in a very violent household," the now 23-year-old told AAP.

"I decided I wanted to escape the abuse (but) because of my age and my parents' different stories I wasn't taken seriously."

"I ended up having to live on the streets, or in empty homes or empty buildings, fending for myself."

Ryn said he spent years bouncing between the streets, friends' homes and his family home while trying to seek safe accommodation from homelessness services. 

"They didn't really want to give housing to young people that are under the age of 18 and the amount of housing available was extremely limited," he said. 

It was only when he turned 18 that he was able to be placed on a wait list and found more services were willing to help.  

"It put a lot of my life, my goals, my ambitions, it put them all on hold," Ryn said. 

"Services like supported living housing really allow a young person to finish school and to get a job, so when they do turn 18 they're not then just homeless."

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Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)