On Thursday 7 May, Laura Nuttall MLA introduced a motion in the Legislative Assembly calling on the Government to develop a Youth Homelessness Strategy, codesigned with young people and the sector.
It had unanimous support.
This is something that both the Youth Coalition and youth homelessness sector have been advocating for over several years.
The support for this motion indicates a broad acknowledgement by decision-makers of the need to pursue a whole-of-community approach to youth homelessness that is backed up by better data collection and co-created by those who know the ACT youth homelessness system best. You can read the motion here on pages 957-958.
The strategy is a huge win for young people and the sector, demonstrating what consistent advocacy and collaboration can do. In the meantime, we, and many in the Legislative Assembly, will be watching for the ACT Government to ensure the strategy is backed up with a clear commitment to following through.
We would like to thank the following MLAs for their speeches supporting the motion:
- Miss Nuttall, ACT Greens Spokesperson for Young People, Member for Brindabella
- Minister Pettersson, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Member for Yerrabi
- Ms Barry, Shadow Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness, Member for Ginninderra
- Ms Carrick, Member for Murrumbidgee
- Mr Emerson, Member for Kurrajong
- Minister Berry, Minister for Homes, Homelessness and New Suburbs, Member for Ginninderra
Each MLA spoke to the strength and commitment of youth homelessness services in supporting young people. We encourage you to listen to the debate on this motion and hear the value that our MLAs place on youth workers and the work they do to support young people experiencing homelessness.
What next?
Over the coming months, the Youth Coalition will be undertaking a sector mapping project of the youth homelessness system. This will help those working with the system to better understand what supports and assists are available and where the gaps are for young people seeking help. It may also help inform the development of the Youth Homelessness Strategy. We will connect with the sector when work commences on the project.
We look forward to working with colleagues across community services and ACT Government as the Youth Homelessness Strategy is developed.
