This report is based on the findings of a survey of 227 young people across England and Wales currently residing in homelessness accommodation, such as hostels, foyers and semi-independent flats. It highlights the experiences and challenges faced by young people experiencing hidden homelessness.
The research reveals how young people across the country are faced with shocking conditions and are forced to make impossible choices. It shows the impact of not having a stable place to call home on a young person’s mental and physical health, on their ability to succeed in education and employment, and on their relationships with family and friends. It shows the risks and physical dangers that young people going through homelessness face every day and every night without safe accommodation - and why it is so important that we campaign for change
Executive Summary
Organisations like Centrepoint support young people affected by homelessness not just over Christmas, but throughout the entire year. We offer a warm bed and a safe place for over 1500 vulnerable young people every single night, alongside support for education, employment and training.
Young people supported by Centrepoint have access to specialist health teams, engagement programmes through art and fitness, and training and development to help them prepare for living independently, such as managing a budget and household bills.We have a dedicated advice line for young people across the country who are concerned about their housing situation.
Across the country, from Cornwall to Northumberland, charities and housing providers provide a vital lifeline to young people faced with homelessness.However, homelessness organisations are being forced to do more with less, at a time when all forms of homelessness are increasing.
Cuts to council budgets means that local authorities have less to spend on supporting and accommodating young people who become homeless, and less to spend on preventative services. A critical lack of housing which young people can afford means it is increasingly difficult for young people to move on from homelessness and into a home of their own when they are ready. This means they are stuck for longer than they need to be, and that charities like Centrepoint are less able to support young people who need accommodation and support.
That is why Centrepoint is campaigning for change, to ensure that young people do not become homeless in the first place, and those that do are able to receive the support they need to allow them to move into stable accommodation as quickly as is possible.
Key findings and recommendations
Findings
More than six out of ten young people in this survey reported having slept rough. Faced without anywhere else to turn, these young people were forced to spend the night in a range of unsafe, unsanitary and unsheltered locations.
Almost two thirds of the young people accommodated by Centrepoint lost a place to live due to family breakdown. Wider evidence also suggests that this is the main driver of youth homelessness across the UK, with an estimated 52 per cent of 16-25s presenting as homeless last year due to parents or others not willing to accommodate them.
No place to call home
- 19 per cent stayed in an abusive home with a partner because they had nowhere else to stay.
- 40 per cent said that homelessness had a negative impact on their ability to access or sustain education.
- 64 per cent said that homelessness had a negative impact on their relationships with family.
- 37 per cent stayed in an abusive home with a parent/guardian because they had nowhere else to stay.
- 46 per cent stayed in an overcrowded property because they had nowhere else to stay.
- 45 per cent of young people identifying as LGBT+ reported staying in an abusive home with a parent or guardian because they had nowhere else to stay.
- 73 per cent had sofa surfed because they had nowhere else to stay.
No place to stay
- 50 per cent said that homelessness had a negative impact on their relationship with friends.
- 27 per cent felt pressured to drink alcohol while homeless.
- 26 per cent felt pressured to take drugs while homeless.
- 24 per cent felt pressured to stay with a stranger while homeless.
No safe place
- 68 per cent of respondents felt unsafe while homeless
- 30 per cent suffered physical assault.
- 27 per cent suffered theft.
- 15 per cent suffered mugging
- 15 per cent took part in illegal activity for somewhere to stay.
- 21 per cent felt pressured to commit a crime while homeless.
- 6 per cent committed a crime in order to be arrested for somewhere to stay
- 20 per cent spent a night in a squat or empty property because they had nowhere else to stay
No place at all
- 72 per cent said that homelessness had a negative impact on their mental health.
- 58 per cent said that homelessness had negative impact on physical health.
- 60 per cent reported going to sleep hungry when they were homeless.
Recommendations
We are calling for changes to the benefits system, to ensure that young people are able to access a fairer level of financial support which reflects the amount needed to rent a property. We are calling for better access to advice and support for young people and families at an earlier stage. And we’re calling for the government to properly invest in genuinely affordable housing, so that young people moving on from homelessness have a real chance of finding a place to live.