Youth homelessness in Wangaratta is often out of sight, but it is far from rare.

That’s the message North East Support and Action for Youth (NESAY) hopes to highlight on Youth Homelessness Matters Day, as the organisation joins community services at a public kiosk in the CBD on Wednesday.

NESAY will share the services they provide and support they can offer to youth, as part of the Australia-wide campaign to raise awareness of around 45,000 young people experiencing homelessness annually, and their need for secure housing, mental health support, and support for issues such as family violence.

NESAY transitional services manager Claire Anderson said many people still associate youth homelessness with capital cities like Melbourne, when it is a significant issue in regional communities.

“When people hear the term youth homelessness, they often imagine young people sleeping rough in city streets,” she said.

“Here, it looks very different, it's young people moving from place to place, couch-surfing, staying with friends or family, sleeping in cars and sometimes rough sleeping.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty about where they’ll be staying from one night to the next.”

That instability, Ms Anderson said, makes youth homelessness far more hidden in regional areas.

“We don’t often see young people sleeping on footpaths here, but that doesn’t mean homelessness isn’t happening,” she said.

“It’s very much there, just harder to see.”

NESAY is funded to support around 180 young people aged 16 to 25 each year, a figure Ms Anderson said they usually meet or come close to meeting, and she suspects the true number of young people experiencing homelessness locally is higher.

“Not everyone who needs help comes to us,” she said.

In 2024–25, 22,835 Victorian young people sought support from homelessness services, representing 22 per cent of all clients, with over half presenting alone.

“There are young people managing as best they can without any support," Ms Anderson said.

Ms Anderson said family violence and family breakdown are the leading pathways into homelessness for local young people.

“When home becomes unsafe, young people often have no real choices,” she said.

"The impacts quickly spill into other areas of life.

“It’s incredibly hard to keep going to school or work when you don’t know where you’re sleeping, where you’ll shower or how you’ll wash your clothes.

“That instability affects mental health, and it can really derail a young person’s hopes, ambitions and sense of wellbeing.

"Youth homelessness is a key driver of long-term social and educational disadvantage and is now the most common pathway into adult homelessness."

Ms Anderson said early intervention is critical.

“We know that if we can support a young person properly during their first experience of homelessness, it’s much less likely to happen again,” she said.

“Our role is to be there early, show young people the options available, build on their strengths and help them work towards independence and stable housing.”

NESAY works alongside young people to set goals around housing, education, employment and health, rather than focusing only on crisis responses.

However, Ms Anderson said the current housing environment is placing increasing pressure on services.

“There is very little affordable rental housing for young people, and we don’t currently have a youth refuge in Wangaratta,” she said.

“More housing options specifically suited to young people would make a significant difference.”

Youth Homelessness Matters Day is about raising awareness and reminding the community that help is available.

“Because youth homelessness is so hidden, young people don’t always realise support exists or that they’re entitled to ask for help,” Ms Anderson said.

“Nationally, young people make up the largest group experiencing homelessness, so if we can stop it where it starts, that’s a powerful outcome.”

She encouraged parents, schools and community members to look out for changes in routine that may signal risk.

“If a young person’s behaviour changes, their mental health declines, or life doesn’t seem to be going as well as it once was, those can all be early warning signs,” she said.

“If someone is concerned, calling NESAY is a great first step.”

Ms Anderson said preventing youth homelessness requires a united community response.

“It starts with a shared belief that youth homelessness is not acceptable,” she said.

“Every young person deserves to feel safe, secure and supported to reach their potential.”

NESAY also runs initiatives such as Fair Feed and school based awareness programs aimed at strengthening community support networks and identifying safe places for young people.

NESAY is a registered charity, and donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Community members can learn more or seek support by visiting NESAY at the kiosk on the corner of Murphy and Reid street from 10am to 3pm on Wednesday, 15 April or contacting the organisation directly.