FILE

Of 300 at-risk young people in Dunedin, 4 per cent were found to have engaged in prostitution in exchange for a place to stay, and 7 per cent were sleeping rough.

A growing homelessness crisis in Dunedin has resulted in at-risk youth trading "sex for a bed" and sleeping rough in cars, a Methodist Mission survey shows.

The survey was conducted by Methodist Mission Southern drawing on data from six social agencies that deal with at-risk young people, aged between 16 and 20.

Methodist Mission Southern business development manager Jimmy McLauchlan said the organisation had been aware of the homelessness situation in Dunedin for years, but it was becoming worse.

"The data is dispiriting as it shows there are a number of young people living in crisis in Dunedin,  but on the other hand, it is still on a scale we can do something about," he said.

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The survey of 300 at-risk youth showed that 4 per cent had engaged in prostitution for a place to stay, 5 per cent lived in boarding houses, 7 per cent slept rough and 39 per cent couch surfed, with the remaining 45 per cent still living at home.

McLauchlan said the stories he had heard from young people about trading sex for a place to stay were "absolutely horrifying."

Some were trapped in unhealthy, abusive relationships because they did not have anywhere else to go, with McLauchlan saying he had heard of young people being coerced into sex.

"That is a huge concern for us, because the damage from that can be life-long," he said.

The agencies that provided information for the survey, which was collated in July last year, dealt with young people who might be coming from environments that were not safe, or suitable for them.

Because of their age, and other factors like mental health issues, they often chose not to go to government agencies for help and they lacked the resources and life experience to find private rental accommodation, McLauchlan said.

Many did not have identification, or enough money for bond, and they had to be aged 18 in order to sign a tenancy agreement, he said.

Methodist Mission Southern director Laura Black said the young people from the survey did not fit the television stereotype of homelessness, sleeping on the street.

Instead, she described it as an "invisible homelessness," where the teenagers exerted tremendous amounts of energy building networks of friends, and friends-of-friends to find somewhere to stay.

"They might have a place to stay tonight, but maybe not the next day or the night after that," she said.

While there were some boarding houses available in Dunedin where at-risk youth could stay, McLauchlan said people often underestimated how unhealthy these environments could be.

Young people could be exposed to drug use, violence and inappropriate sexual advances at some boarding houses, he said.

"These are adult problems that 16 and 17-year-olds should never be exposed to."

The mission wanted to provide at-risk youth with a transitional housing facility, sleeping six to eight people, and was in initial talks with the Ministry of Social Development to try and secure funding.

"In terms of government funding, it's money down the back of the couch for them," McLauchlan said.

A transitional facility would give young people a place to stay until they were in a position to try and find private rental accommodation, he said.

"Young people that are homeless tend to be fairly resilient, they just need enough support to get them through that crisis period."

 - Stuff