On any given night there are over 26,000 Australians aged 12 to 24 who have nowhere to call home.

Ladder is working with young people who have experienced homelessness to break the cycle and strive for their hopes, dreams and aspirations.  We help them find pathways out of homeless and reach their potential.

This path is frequently a hard one as youth homelessness is often a hidden one.  The most common form of homelessness for young people is couch surf which is staying with friends, extended families and even people they don’t know all that well, which makes it hard for them to concentrate on school, training or finding a job when they have nowhere secure to call home.

Ladder is fortunate to have AFL players supporting our work and one is Geelong Cats champion Steve Johnson. Johnson is a Ladder Ambassador and cares deeply about the issue of youth homelessness.

“Young people are often the forgotten face of homelessness, I was stunned to learn that couch surfing was the number one way young people experience homelessness,” Johnson said.

“Homelessness should not define who a young person is or will be. The more people are aware of the issue, hopefully more can be done to support young people to get back on their feet and achieve their dreams.”

“I’m proud to put my support behind Ladder and Youth Homelessness Matters Day, to help raise awareness about youth homelessness.

Youth Homelessness Matters Day is Wednesday 9 April and is a day of raising awareness about the issues of youth homelessness and to help breakdown the stereotype and stigma often associated with homelessness. The stigma can prevent young people from seeking assistance and support that could help them break the cycle of homelessness before it can take hold.

For more information on Youth Homelessness Matters Day go to www.facebook.com/yhmday