Perth youth shelters overwhelmed, turning away dozens daily, coalition urges government funding
Crisis accommodation for at-risk young people in Perth is full, forcing services to reject an average of 15 youths each day, and the Ending Child and Youth Homelessness Coalition is pressing the state government for additional support.
Between January and June, 19 youth accommodation services across metropolitan Perth logged 2,653 occasions when they could not provide a bed, leaving an average of 15 young people turned away each day. The demand for crisis beds stands at roughly 69 youths per 1.83 available spaces, and on August 20 alone, 114 unaccompanied people aged 25 and under were counted sleeping rough in Perth and Rockingham. In its 2027-28 pre-budget submission, the Ending Child and Youth Homelessness Coalition urged the state to invest in early-intervention programs, develop a dedicated plan to eradicate youth homelessness, and fund new crisis accommodation in Albany and Bayswater, plus a feasibility study for Broome.
Anonymous testimonies describe the shelters as dehumanising, alienating and humiliating, while sector workers report having to refuse children as young as 12, fearing they will face severe danger on the streets. Shelter WA chief executive Kath Snell called the situation unacceptable for a wealthy state and appealed for immediate government action.
Why it matters
The story shows a growing youth homelessness crisis in Western Australia and mounting pressure on the government to fund urgent shelter solutions.
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