SCHOOL leaders, students and community agencies came together to wipe out youth homelessness in the Moreton Bay region at the Beat The Street forum on Thursday, June 2. 

Beat The Street is part of the Reconnect program which is an early intervention program conducted by LCC and funded by the Federal Government. The program works with 12 to 18-year-olds at risk of homelessness.

Intercept Youth and Family Service hosted the forum to discuss the coordination of early intervention and prevention responses for youth homelessness.

The forum raised the profile of the three levels of homelessness, with a focus on secondary homelessness (couch surfing). Couch surfing describes a situation where a young person is between accommodation without secure housing elsewhere. Often it includes the young person moving houses of their family and friends.

Reconnect Youth and Family Worker Shona Van Garderen said the forum lent a helping hand to homeless teens by putting in place preventative measures to keep young people off the streets.

“This forum made people aware homelessness is an issue in the Moreton Bay region and will help to reduce the number of youth couch surfing,” she said.

Ms Van Garderen said around 70 people attended the forum including teachers and students from local schools, community agencies, the police, youth justice and government. 

“We delivered three workshops and the attendees split into groups to brainstorm ideas to address the gaps in services,” she said.

”The feedback we got from a number of students from the local school gave us great advice to help us reach out to young people.”

Ms Van Garderen said a survey conducted in 2009 revealed the local community were unaware youth homeless existed in the Moreton Bay region.

”This was contradictory to the high numbers of referrals received at our service,” she said.

“The program has serviced 210 clients since its inception in 2008.”

A 15-year-old student shared her experiences of life in a youth shelter at the forum.  

“Homelessness is not something you would want to feel. It’s not a happy place to be in and I didn’t feel loved when I was going through it,” she said.

“This forum could have helped stop other people like me experiencing abuse.”

The workshop was followed by barefoot bowls, drinks and networking.