Most Australians picture homelessness as someone sleeping rough on the street.

But for thousands of young people, it looks very different: couch surfing, sleeping in cars or fleeing unsafe family homes.

It’s a misconception HoMie CEO Stephanie Say is determined to change.

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The Melbourne-based streetwear label and social enterprise is dedicated to supporting young people affected by homelessness and hardship.

Before joining HoMie, Say spent several years at The Big Issue — the non-profit organisation that supports people experiencing homelessness, unemployment and disadvantage.

“I was quite familiar with the issue and acutely aware of what goes on in terms of homelessness in Australia through my previous role at The Big Issue,” Say said.

Steph Say, CEO of HoMie. Credit: Supplied

“I was there for a number of years before moving over to HoMie.

“I think the most alarming thing that is perhaps misconstrued or misunderstood about homelessness is that it’s largely invisible.

“That’s probably why the vast majority of Australians don’t have a grasp of just how bad the issue is.”

Say said many people associate homelessness with sleeping rough, but that’s only the most visible form.

In reality, homelessness includes anyone without a safe and secure place to call home. For young people, that can mean couch surfing, living in a refuge, sleeping in a car or staying with relatives.

“It’s much, much broader than the stereotypical image,” Say said.

“I think once you start to uncover the layers of it, the issue really is quite alarming.”

According to the latest Census, 25 per cent of Australians experiencing homelessness are aged between 12 and 25. Say believes those figures are likely to be even higher when the next data is released.

“We’re going to see much worse numbers and the lengths that young people are going to, to try to find a safe place to call home is really ... it’s not good enough,” she said.

“It’s garbage in a country of our resources.

“We could fill the MCG with the number of Australians experiencing homelessness on any given night.

“When you start to put that kind of perspective on it, it really starts to get through for the average Australian.”

Say believes one of the biggest misconceptions is why young people become homeless. Credit: Getty

Say believes one of the biggest misconceptions is why young people become homeless.

Many assume it’s the result of poor decisions, but she said most young people experiencing homelessness are there through no fault of their own.

“The biggest cause of homelessness for young people is being forced to flee their family home due to domestic violence,” she said.

“Then the lack of affordable housing makes it difficult for them to find another stable home.

“Neither of those things are the fault of a young person.

“If being at home is unsafe and if you can’t afford to rent somewhere or access housing, then you’re really in a tight spot.

“That’s the reality of the situation. It’s not about drugs or youth crime, or bad choices.”

Recent research by HoMie found more than half of Australians believe becoming homeless is a personal choice for young people, highlighting the stigma the organisation is working to challenge.

“It’s a systemic failure, not a personal failure,” Say said.

“Young people are unemployed at twice the rate of the broader Australian population.

“So if being at home isn’t an option, there are no affordable homes to rent and you can’t get a job because the employment market is so challenging right now.

“It’s really the perfect storm for a young person. It’s brutal.”

Say said she was drawn to HoMie because it offers something different — an aspirational environment where young people can access opportunities, confidence and practical support.

All profits from the streetwear label are reinvested into the organisation’s four programs, which help young people experiencing homelessness build brighter futures.

Seeing participants come full circle and become advocates for the organisation is one of the most rewarding parts of her role.

“We offer something that’s very unique, very special and we see really incredible outcomes for the young people we work with,” Say said.

“At the end of the day, we provide an opportunity and open a door, but they’re the ones that walk through it and really do all the hard work.”

HoMie will also take part in this year’s Global Impact Summit, an initiative of Charitabl, which runs from August 5 to 6.

The summit brings together corporates, funders, social enterprises and not-for-profits to foster collaboration, learning and partnerships focused on tackling Australia’s biggest social challenges.

“We are pretty excited about the opportunity to connect with other like-minded organisations,” Say said.

“Individuals that are all rowing in the same direction for a shared and collective goal.

“We’re really looking forward to hearing from other people in our community doing extraordinary work, take back some learnings and share some of our learnings.

“The expression that comes to mind for me is ‘generosity of spirit’.

“It is really all of us coming together to see how we can tackle some of Australia’s biggest social issues.”