Most young people experiencing homelessness only have negative feelings, while others feel a mixture of negative and optimistic feelings.

Negative feelings

• Unwanted by parents and/or grandparents
• Drained, frustrated, lost, worthless
• Judged
• Terrified, angry, upset, scared and worried
• Hopeless, depressed, down for a while, sad
• Hungry
• Suicidal

Mixture of negative and optimistic feelings

• Excitement for independence and starting a life with endless possibilities
• Relieved, weight lifted, confident, in a good place
• Happy but also stressed, overwhelmed, under pressure
• Sometimes wanting to go home
• Scared, feeling mixed emotions, confusion

Most difficult aspects of homelessness

The negative feelings of young people experiencing homelessness can be due to the following:

• Facing the high cost of temporary accommodation (eg hotels, motels and caravan parks)
• Experiencing hunger and not being able to afford regular meals
• Difficulty with:
• getting access to Centrelink entitlements without parental cooperation or a fixed address
• building a foundation with much stability
• forging new relationships
• Pressure on social connections

"[it’s]... hard to get stability without [having some] stability".

"..using all your energy to get through the day you can't study, can't work, can't save, can't work towards something with no foundation or base, money comes in, goes out".

"finding a place to stay at all. I was staying in the car while doing physical work every day....And hunger. I'd eat once per day. I would buy fish and chips to get a hot meal."*

^{* Young people's comments cited from the report below:}