Child poverty, homelessness hit new highs in mining-rich WA

The number of children experiencing poverty has doubled in Western Australia over the past decade, as youth homelessness in the state hits breaking point, new data has revealed.

Findings from the Child Poverty in Australia report released on Monday found one in six children in WA are experiencing food insecurity, poor housing conditions and limited access to healthcare.

Separately, new data from WA's frontline services and housing peak bodies show 69 teens and young adults aged under 25 in Perth are competing for one crisis bed in the Perth metropolitan area every night.

The figures have prompted calls for both state and federal governments to commit to further measures to reduce child poverty and homelessness.

Homeless at 13

Kaya, 23, has been homeless for the past decade.

"I became homeless at 13," she told ABC Radio Perth.

"My father left — he pretty much chose substance abuse over his child. From being on the streets, sleeping behind shops and couch surfing, it took over a year to finally be put into crisis housing."

Kaya described being turned away from crisis accommodation due to lack of beds more times than she could remember.

"I felt more like a number on a file than a human being," she said.

"Sometimes it can be like a week wait while they suss the other candidates out, so it can be very daunting waiting."

Crisis beds full

Youth Affairs Council interim chief executive Kylie Wallace said Kaya's story was not uncommon.

"This is a familiar story and the sector who provide accommodation services crisis, medium transitional and into long-term housing know that this is such a significant issue," she said.

"In the metro area, 32 crisis beds are currently funded, and we know that 225 homeless young people are rough sleeping or in very temporary shelter every day at the moment, and there are no pathways out of crisis accommodation."

The organisation has collaborated with seven others to put forward a pre-budget submission calling for a Housing First for Youth model, as well as three additional Youth Foyers and more crisis accommodation.

Vinnies WA manager Si Lappin said those figures were "conservative" and the full extent of young people unable to find accommodation and turned away from services were much higher.

He said a recent survey showed 107 unaccompanied children and young people rough sleeping on a single night.

"It's heartbreaking for the youth workers and for the staff that are working with these people, seeing these young people walk out the door," he said.

Kids missing school

Perth-based charity 12 Buckets said it had been supporting up to 900 vulnerable young people every week.

"Like Tim, who … actually stayed home from school for two days because there was no food at home for breakfast or for lunch," chief executive Larissa Muir said.

"So instead of going into school, he spent the two days with his mum going around and collecting food from the local food collection points."

More than 180 organisations have backed the End Child Poverty campaign, calling on the federal government to legislate a "child-centred definition of poverty" and align policy, funding and accountability mechanisms with evidence.

Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre director Alan Duncan said without meaningful intervention, Australia risked having one million children in poverty within months.

"The rise in child poverty is not a statistical anomaly," he said.

"It's the predictable result of housing stress, inadequate income support and policy drift."

Richest state

Yet WA is on track for a $2.4 billion surplus in 2025-2026, cementing the state as the strongest economy in the nation on the back of its mining wealth.

When quizzed about the latest youth homelessness figures, WA Premier Roger Cook pointed to WA's existing 10-year strategy.

“That’s led to a range of investments, including $25 million across 24 service agreements,” he said.

“We will continue to work closely with those agencies and those organisations to make sure they get the resources they need.”