Throughout April, various States and Territories celebrate young people by hosting Youth Week.

During WA Youth Week (10–16 April), themed Strength in Our Stories, Vinnies WA highlighted the growing crisis of child and youth homelessness.

Chrissie Smith, Director of Specialist Community Services, says young people need early intervention and place-based, trauma-informed support like Vinnies’ Passages Youth Engagement Hubs in Perth and Peel, which assisted 750 young people in 2025, 39% of whom slept rough.

With rising rents and limited crisis accommodation, the situation is increasingly dire. A snapshot from late 2024 showed 69 young people competing for fewer than two crisis beds each night.

Vinnies WA and partners through the Ending Child and Youth Homelessness campaign urge governments to invest in prevention and listen to young people’s voices. The message is clear: we must act now to ensure every child and young person has a safe place to call home. 

To read the full story, scan the QR code or visit vinnies.link/silenced-sleeping-rough.