University of Canberra student Nathan Beer came dangerously close to ending up on the streets of the national capital earlier this year.

Now the architecture student is preparing to spend 20 nights homeless on the streets of Melbourne - by choice.

He aims to raise awareness about homelessness and show how easily it can happen.

The 23-year-old says the issue really hit home when he found himself without a support network at the start of the year.

"I realised how easy it is for anyone to get into a circumstance where they don't have a support network around them, financially they can't support themselves and it would be really easy to become homeless," he said.

"Unlike a lot of other university students, I don't have a mother or father, they both passed away and my grandmother who was my other support role passed away earlier this year.

"It was literally me by myself in the big open world."

Nathan was happily living in a share house in Canberra before the atmosphere turned nasty.

"I was unfortunate in my house where the housemates really didn't get along with me and there was some bickering and bullying," he said.

"It's the worst thing when you can't go home to a safe environment.

"I didn't feel safe or happy in my house so I needed to get out.

"I feel that's a human right that everyone should deserve, a safe, calm environment to go home to."

Nathan contacted ACT Housing, but found he would end up on a lengthy waiting list for emergency accommodation.

It was then he realised his situation, however distressing personally, was not unique.

"Homeless figures are just astronomical," he said.

"It doesn't just mean living on the streets, it means people who have been ejected from their houses, that are couch-surfing, living in their cars, pretty much anyone that just doesn't have a home to go to."

But Nathan's story has a happy ending.

He is now settled in on-campus university accommodation.

But he says his experience has taught him that people need to look out for others at risk of homelessness.

"We just need to care a little bit more," he said.

"I feel there's a disillusion in Australia about what homelessness actually is.

"People believe that homeless people are there for a reason, that they've done it to themselves, that they have a drug addiction and it's absolute rubbish.

"People don't understand that homeless people aren't just drug and alcohol addicts, they're everyday people like their neighbour, their sister, their brother.

"They've just fallen into unfortunate times and they've ended up on the streets."

Raising awareness

Nathan says his travels opened his eyes about the number of people experiencing homelessness here and abroad.

"I travelled last year around the world and was extremely blown away by the amount of homelessness and neglect," he said.

"But it doesn't just happen overseas. It's in Canberra as well, but there's epicentres in both Sydney and Melbourne."

It is on the streets of Melbourne that Nathan is now inspired to really experience homelessness and raise money for the Lighthouse Foundation through his 20 Cold Nights campaign.

"In my backpack I'll have a sleeping bag, the clothes I'm wearing, a notepad to document it and I'll be taking my camera along so I can document my experience in a digital sense," he said.

"I'm not taking any money, I'm not taking any food.

"I'll end up on the streets in Melbourne the same as anyone else might in the same situation and I'll be looking for the same services and resources they'd have.

"That might mean soup vans, shelters or essentially just begging for it."

But Nathan acknowledges the difficult days and nights that lie ahead.

"It's going to be a challenge," he said.

"I want to live the authentic homeless experience and educate myself whilst doing it, so I can come back and educate others about exactly how hard it is and what services need to be improved."

And, just maybe, open a few people's eyes to homelessness in Australia.