03 Oct 24
Government statistics released today show a concerning increase in the number of young people age 18-24 facing homelessness in the last year. Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2023-24, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, show that local authorities across England recorded nearly 57,000 young people being threatened with or experiencing homelessness last year.
Councils have clear statutory duties to assess children age 16-17 under the Children Act 1989, and take them into care when they present as homeless, so it is of particular concern that these statistics show that over 2,000 16-17 year olds, with nowhere to live, were assessed by councils under housing law, missing out on the care they are entitled to from children’s services.
The statistics also paint a concerning picture for young care leavers, with the figures showing an increase to over 5,000 care leavers being threatened with or experiencing homelessness. The numbers suggest that more than one in ten care leavers age 18 to 20 experience homelessness. Housing and homelessness issues are common among the care leavers Coram Voice work with in our advocacy services. We therefore welcomed the commitment from the Prime Minister in his conference speech last week to give care leavers the security they deserve through the provision of better access to social housing and look forward to seeing this made a reality for this particularly vulnerable group of young people.
Linda Briheim-Crookall, Head of Policy and Practice Development at Coram Voice, said: “Youth homelessness is not just about housing. We know from our services that many homeless young people also need support with mental health, to get back into education and training and cope financially.
“Many find themselves in situations that expose them to risk of abuse. It is particularly important that those who are legally still children when they experience homelessness receive the care and support they have a right to. All local authorities should urgently ensure that 16 and 17 year olds who present as homeless become looked after. There are also too many young people who are turned away from services.
“Last year, through Coram’s homelessness outreach project, we helped over 200 homeless young people to have their rights upheld, after either being turned away from council housing departments, or not being appropriately assessed and supported. If you are a young person at risk of homelessness or a professional working with young people, you can get advice and support from our team – find out more about our homelessness outreach project.”