p; While homeless people are typically portrayed as older men, over 60 per cent of the 120,000 people currently experiencing homelessness are 35 and under.  “That’s a really alarming statistic that not enough people have an awareness or visibility of,” HoMie CEO Nick Pearce told Inside Retail.  Pearce hopes the campaign will draw attention to the problem of youth homelessness, even as Covid and the resulting financial instability have worsened it.  “We know that the number of people who are at risk of homelessness has increased exponentially, and a lot of people are in that situation who I’m sure never thought they would be,” he said.  Pearce attributes this to the well-documented rise of family violence during Covid, the number one driver of homelessness among women, and one of the leading drivers among young people.  “The majority of young people who experience homelessness are fleeing an unsafe family situation. The other leading contributing factor to youth homelessness is the lack of affordable housing,” he said.   While the exact impact of the pandemic on the homeless population won’t be known until the next census is made public later this year, “there’s no denying that we were anticipating, unfortunately, an increase,” Pearce said.  How retailers can help end youth homelessness Pearce founded HoMie with his friends Marcus Crook and Rob Gillies in 2015 as a social enterprise to support young people experiencing homelessness. Proceeds from the sale of its streetwear products go towards VIP Days, which include free clothing, haircuts and hot meals for those in need. A few years ago, HoMie also established the Pathway Alliance, a program that aims to permanently break the cycle of homelessness through paid employment. Participants work at HoMie and partner organisations, including Champion, Bonds and Retail Prodigy Group, and receive one-one-one support to pursue careers in retail.   “Retail is the biggest employer of young people, and youth homelessness is the most represented group of people who’ve experienced homeslessness in Australia, so it seems very clear to me that retail is a very real solution to what is and has been a long standing societal issue,” Pearce said.  “There’s a genuine opportunity to utilise this industry to effect significant lasting change, and ultimately, break that cycle of homelessness by providing pathways for young people.” Over 40 young people have graduated from the Pathway Alliance, and while Pearce would like to grow this number, he is cautious about expanding too quickly and losing the individual approach that has made it a success so far. “Conscious growth is such an important thing. We don’t want to compromise on quality by taking on more than we can reasonably execute,” he said.  “There’s always scope to do a bit more, it’s just about making sure it’s done the right way and finding those who are willing to come along to the journey with us and to learn through doing.”  Besides employment, Pearce believes that reducing the stigma around homelessness is a key part of the solution.  “Even just [through] the power of language and not referring to someone as “a homeless person”, but a person experiencing homelessness, because we know that it’s a situation that people can get out of with the right level of support, care and opportunity,” he said.  This message is at the heart of the #Hoodies4Homelessness campaign, which Pearce hopes will become an annual fundraising event like Beanies for Brain Cancer, or Movember.  As part of the campaign, the brand is selling a limited-edition sweatshirt designed by Australian comedian and television personality, and HoMie ambassador, Tommy Little.  Participants can also make donations with the proceeds to be evenly split between HoMie and youth advocacy organisation Whitelion.