Budget boost to tackle growing ranks of homeless youth

Homeless youth will be helped to find a home by a $60 million initiative in the federal budget. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)

Thousands of young Australians will be offered a new payment to help access community housing as part of the federal budget.

Under the change, the federal government will provide a roughly $6000 top-up payment to some people on Youth Allowance and the Indigenous ABSTUDY payment, making them a more appealing tenant for community housing providers.