There are concerns in the youth accommodation sector in Western Australia that the needs of homeless young people, who are living independently of their families, are not being adequately met by the current system. To help inform policy, this literature review was commissioned to investigate the needs and experiences of young homeless people under 16 years old of age, including incidence and characteristics, risk factors, policy approaches, and models of service delivery. This report summarises the findings, considers their applicability for Western Australia, and identifies gaps in the evidence. Overall, the review finds that the needs of this population have not been well studied and that policy gets lost between policies that address services for families and policies aimed at older youth. This report follows on from a similar review on the needs and issues of children and young people in families who were homeless.
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