The practice of couch-surfing has been identified as a precursor of chronic homelessness, and Australia's first study into the economics of youth homelessness has revealed the alarming costs of the problem.
As part of World Homeless Day, couches littered Melbourne's Federation Square to draw attention to the issue of couch surfing.
Psychologist Dr Monica Thielking has completed the first stage of Australia's inaugural study into the cost of youth homelessness.
The cost for the government for the health and justice for an average Australian aged between 12 and 24 is about $1,600, but for an homeless person it's $12,500 - eight times as much.
Service providers in Melbourne say people from multicultural backgrounds are seriously over-represented in homelessness.
One agency says a quarter of those currently in their refuges were born overseas, but the trend to homelessness for recent arrivals and refugees is far greater.
It's estimated 34,000 Australians are homeless.
