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  • If you have nowhere safe tonight, use the emergency housing guide.
  • Give a housing worker dates and describe how long your current place is available.
  • Ask a school, TAFE or workplace contact for one practical change that would help this week.

Describe the situation as it is

Staying with friends or relatives can buy time, but it can be hard to plan when you have to ask where you will sleep every few days. You might still be getting to class or work and looking fine to everyone around you. When you speak with a housing service, say what is stable and what is uncertain. “I can stay here until Thursday. After that I have no confirmed place” gives the worker more to work with than saying you are staying with a friend.

If your accommodation depends on someone’s permission changing from day to day, explain that too. Mention any pressure that makes a place unsafe. A spare couch is only useful if you can use it safely. If you have nowhere safe to stay tonight, switch to the guide on finding a place tonight and make the urgent call first.

Make one list for a housing worker

Write down where you can stay this week, which nights are confirmed, where you need to be for school or work, and any urgent concerns. You could also note where you keep important things and what you cannot get to. If a worker needs details about someone you are staying with, ask why and how that information will be used. Tell them if it is unsafe to contact your family or send mail to a particular address.

Ask Izzy can help you find housing services in your area. Services Australia lists options for people who are homeless or couch surfing, including information about payments and social work support. Ask a worker what the local service does, whether it can assess your situation, and whether it can help with related needs such as food or transport. You can ask what to do while waiting for a call back and what changes you should report.

Protect one routine that matters

Changing addresses can make an ordinary day more complicated. A student might spend an extra hour on a bus, arrive without a charged laptop and miss a task they usually finish. Start with the problem that affects you most. Ask a school wellbeing contact or trainer whether there is a place to charge a device, store class materials or complete an assignment after class. If you work, ask about a short-term shift change that matches the transport you can actually use.

It can be easier to ask for one concrete change than to explain every part of your housing situation. “My travel has changed this week. Could we move my start time on Friday or swap that shift?” lets you begin. If you want someone to understand more, arrange a private conversation. Agree how you will update them if the situation changes again.

Set a checkpoint before the current place ends

Work backwards from the last confirmed night. If it is Thursday, do not wait until Thursday evening to find out whether Friday is possible. Ask when you can check in with the housing service, what information would help, and whether there is a second service to call. Decide how you will get messages if your phone is lost, runs out of credit or is shared. You can ask a worker how to update contact details safely.

A checklist might include medication, keys, essential clothing, school or work supplies, and documents you can safely access. Do not go back alone for belongings if it would put you in danger. Ask a worker about alternatives for anything you cannot retrieve. Keep your first goal manageable: know where you will wait safely, who you can call, and the time you will follow up. Longer-term housing planning can continue once those pieces are in place.

Frequently asked questions

Can I ask for housing help if I’m couch surfing?

Yes. Tell the housing worker which nights you have somewhere safe to stay and when that arrangement ends. Services Australia has information for people who are couch surfing, and Ask Izzy can help you find local services.

What can I ask my school or employer for while my housing is unstable?

Ask privately for one change you could use this week, such as a place to charge your laptop or a shift that fits your transport. Agree when you will check in again if your accommodation changes.

Sources & further reading

These independent resources provide further information. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement of Youth Health.