Problems such as mental illness and drug addiction are confined to a minority of homeless people – and it's preventing others from getting help.
In 2016, James Edwards, right, poses with fellow residents at the Plymouth Crossroads youth homeless residence in Lancaster, N.Y., as he prepares to leave for college. Edwards finished high school while homeless.
AP/Carolyn Thompson
Roughly 700,000 students ages 13 to 17 have experienced homelessness in the last year. An education researcher says the obstacles that these students face can threaten their college dreams.
Of those who have experienced homelessness, 62% cite family breakdown or conflict as the main reason for becoming homeless for the first time.
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Parental separation substantially raises the risk of homelessness by the age of 30 for girls and boys, but only boys are affected by a break-up after the age of 12.
Some homeless youth facing criminal charges in NSW are being accommodated in prisons.
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Homeless children charged in NSW with a criminal offence who are unable to meet bail conditions are being kept in custody. It's due, in part, to a well-meant but flawed section of the Bail Act.
The women were not supported through traumatic events.
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I conducted interviews with 26 young women in alcohol and drug treatment services in Victoria. More than half of them disclosed a history of sexual abuse and 20 spoke about cutting themselves.
Locating and identifying people who are homeless is inherently challenging.
Susie Blatchford, used with permission
Reliable data about the homeless population is vital when developing policy, allocating funding and developing services for vulnerable people. But first the census needs to find them.
Homeless young people have a significantly higher prevalence of adverse health issues and greater levels of contact with the justice system.
AAP/Mick Tsikas