Youth Homelessness Advisory Council
The Youth Homelessness Advisory Council (YHAC) is a WA youth-led advocacy group for young people with lived experience of homelessness. The group was originally established in 2019 with a group of 10 young people who led the creation of the WA Alliance to End Homelessness’s Youth Homelessness Action Plan that aimed to increase sector and community capacity to respond to the needs of young people at risk of homelessness. In 2022, the Sisters of St John of God Ministries provided 3 years of funding to re-establish and further the work of the YHAC.
The aim of YHAC is to understand and gather feedback and insights from young people with lived experience, including identifying the key challenges that young people face when experiencing homelessness and housing instability. YHAC supports young people to advocate for improved policy, service systems, programs and outcomes in areas that impact them.
We’re creating a space for greater relationship building between government decision makers, service providers, the general community and young people themselves. YHAC will engage in and deliver a range of different activities.
In order to deliver services that best meet the needs of young people engaged with the homelessness sector, we need to listen to their voices. Young people’s voices don’t currently have a platform in the housing and homelessness services sector, but YHAC strives to create this advocacy pathway. Young people involved will gain valuable skills, build their capacity to be leaders and advocates, and get to use their lived experience to create positive change and improve services and systems for young people experiencing homelessness.
If you would like to stay up to date with YHAC, please contact Bella Jia at bella@yacwa.org.au.
YHAC is Hiring!
With the re-establishment of YHAC, we are seeking 8 paid Committee members and 1 part time Policy and Project Support Officer to join the team!
Please see https://www.yacwa.org.au/about-us/working-with-us/ for more information on how to apply.
