STRUGGLING to find a home, a job and to look after themselves - that's the sad reality that many Bathurst youth are facing today.
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And with April 17 marking Youth Homelessness Matters Day, local not-for-profit group Veritas House hosted an event at Peace Park to raise awareness about - and to recognise the significance of - youth homelessness in the region.
One young person who has been supported by Veritas House for the past four years spoke about the struggles of being homeless and the massive ripple effect it has on mental health.
In addition to needing more accessible and affordable housing, the young person said more mental health services need to be provided to people who can't afford the fees that psychologists charge.
"The government should help with grieving, especially when they're homeless struggling with grief - like if you lose a partner or parent," she said.
"I lost my partner when my daughter was two-and-a-half months old, and it was really hard grieving and having no family.
"Since I've come back to Veritas House, it has helped so much."
Representatives from headspace, Wattle Tree House, Services NSW, Homes NSW and the Rotary Club of Bathurst all attended the event at Peace Park to show their support for Youth Homelessness Matters Day.
The initiative has been running on the third Wednesday of April since 1990, as a means to raise awareness and prompt public discussion about child and youth homelessness.
It's described as an important day of advocacy for new solutions to support the needs of young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
The event at Peace Park followed federal Nationals leader David Littleproud, during a visit to Dubbo this week, making mention of a scene he saw at Bathurst in emphasising the seriousness of the region's homeless problem.
"I was in Bathurst on the weekend and saw people living in tents as I was walking into the [Royal Bathurst] Show," he told the media as he visited Orana Salvos at Dubbo.
"As we heard from the Salvos, there are areas in Dubbo where there are people living in tents, and in a country as big as this, we need to ask ourselves how we do better."