A lack of mental health services, effective drug and alcohol services, affordable housing and a general shortage of resources is significantly impacting on the region’s youth homelessness support services.

With the Hunter home to almost a quarter of the state’s young people in the Supported Accommodation Service Program – seven per cent higher than the state average – the strain on the region’s support service has never been greater.

The huge task that services face was illustrated by a recent inquiry into youth homelessness that found it had doubled nationally in the past 20 years.

Newcastle youth development officer Julia Woods said local support services were attempting to do their job without the appropriate support.

“A lot of homeless youth are forced to go from one service to another because a lack of resources means that many services don’t have the ability to assess them and help them.”

Ms Woods said addressing the problem was much more complex than simply putting a roof over the head of those in need.

“Many of these kids have been forced to deal with so much and they require a whole range of services.

“Imagine if you were a 15 year old kicked out of home and you have a lot of issues – you can not simply provide them with housing and expect them to be self sufficient.”

She said for many young people support services were the only assistance they could rely on.

“Many of these kids are homeless due to family breakdowns and they do not have the same support networks most young people have.”

Despite the lack of resources Ms Woods said the region’s services still managed to make a huge difference to the lives of many.

“There are services in the area that should be held up as examples to the rest of the state in how to combat youth homelessness but it is still very frustrating to think how much better they could do if they had more resources.”

Calling for an overhaul of the system, Ms Woods said the problem of youth homelessness was never going to be addressed while the homeless were all placed in the same basket.

She said it had to be addressed separately to other forms of homelessness and the perception of young people needed to change in society.

“Nobody is a rocket set on a path; we can help people change if we care enough.”

This is the second article of a six-part series on homeless youth in the area.