SYDNEY (AFP) — The number of young Australians living on the streets has doubled in less than two decades and is rising despite a booming economy, a national inquiry found Tuesday.
An independent study into youth homelessness conducted by the National Youth Commission found that the number of Australians aged 12 to 18 without a home was estimated at 10,000 in 1991 but had reached 21,940 by 2006.
A total of at least 36,000 people under 25 were homeless on any given night, the inquiry reported.
Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek said the figures were a "national tragedy" given Australia's economic boom.
"It is incredible that after 17 straight years of economic growth, we are actually doing worse in many areas of homelessness," she told the Nine Network.
"We have seen the number of these people, particularly families with children, actually increasing and we have to turn that around."
Researchers found that a recent steep rise in rents suggested that more youths would find themselves in unstable accommodation unless urgent action was taken.
The report said that shelters for the homeless were so full that about half the young people seeking a bed for the night were turned away.
It blamed family breakdown, employers increasingly favouring a casual workforce and the drop in housing affordability for the problem.
"Some young people who are living independently become homeless because they can't afford living expenses including rent," it said.
Australia is experiencing a blow-out in demand for its rich mineral and energy resources, particularly from Asia, and unemployment is at a 30-year low.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has set a target budget surplus of 1.5 percent of gross domestic product in the financial year to June 2009 -- about 18 billion dollars (16.7 billion US dollars).
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