In Australia, one in four young people are from a refugee or migrant background. Young people from refugee backgrounds are some of the most vulnerable people in our community and they might reasonably be expected to have different complex needs compared with other young people. Resettlement in Australia may offer refugee young people the chance to reach their full potential. However, the tasks of resettlement are immense and pose daunting challenges for many and can have as much effect on wellbeing as the pre-migration experience.

For young people of refugee background accessing safe, affordable and appropriate housing in their new country is one of the biggest challenges they will face and is central to social inclusion and to a young person's ability to settle successfully in Australia. Not only is the creation of home vitally important for refugees' sense of belonging, it has also been suggested that ‘securing stable housing is often more beneficial and therapeutic than many other western interventions’ (Harrell-Bond, cited in Peisker & Tilbury, 2003). Yet despite this, refugee young people are also ‘six to ten times more likely to be at risk of homelessness than Australian-born young people’ with ‘insecure housing being noted as ‘one of the most significant predictors of mental health problems among refugees’.

Drawing on data from the first longitudinal study to document the experience of homelessness by refugee young people, this article examines young people's personal narratives of homelessness in their new country. The article uses the concept of ‘liminality’ to explore their journey as they looked for safe and secure housing in Melbourne, Australia.