Over 20,000 young people expected to be homeless this Christmas
20 November 2024, 00:02
Nearly 23,000 young people in England are expected to be homeless this Christmas.
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The 22,800 people aged between 16 and 24 expected to be without a home over the festive period is slightly lower than last year's figure - 24,400 and a significant drop from 2022, when 29,500 didn't have their own permanent accommodation.
The South East, London and the West Midlands are expected to have the highest numbers of homeless young people between October and December, according to the charity Centrepoint.
Some 4,200 could need help from local authorities in the South East, 2,500 in London and 3,300 in the West Midlands.
Centrepoint warned that the true number of homeless young people is likely to be higher, given that some will be 'sofa-surfing' and will not turn to their local council for help.
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The government said the figure was "devastating". Local authorities said they were "doing their best" but needed more powers and resources to build social housing to combat the homelessness issue.
Doctor Helen Miles, a consultant clinical psychologist who works with the charity, said: "Experiencing homelessness at any age can have a huge and long-lasting impact on a person's physical and mental health, but young people are particularly vulnerable.
"The trauma and instability of not having a safe home, family or network to turn to can severely affect a young person's sense of physical and emotional safety, which can impact on their ability to engage in life opportunities, critical at this age in order to reach their full potential in the future.
"Our snow globe installation on South Bank is a powerful visual representation of some of the hidden struggles homeless young people face, and how important the right support is in enabling them to move on from homelessness for good.
"Every young person deserves to feel physically and emotionally safe, valued, and hopeful, not just at Christmas, but every day of the year. We hope this installation will inspire greater understanding and action from the wider community."
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Adam Hug, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association (LGA), said councils are "doing their best to meet their duties to vulnerable young people at a time when they are under mounting pressure to find suitable homes for an ever-increasing number of people".
He added: "The chronic shortage of suitable housing across the country means that councils are increasingly having to turn to alternative options for accommodation at a significant cost - there are currently 113,000 households living in temporary accommodation, at a cost to councils of £1.75 billion a year.
"In order to effectively reduce homelessness and tackle housing waiting lists, councils need the powers and resources to build more of the genuinely affordable homes our communities desperately need."
A government spokesperson described the predicted figures as "simply unacceptable" and said they had "inherited record levels of homelessness which is having a devastating impact on young people".
They added: "This has to change - which is why we are taking urgent action to end homelessness for good.
"We have introduced an emergency £10 million fund to protect rough sleepers from the cold this winter and in the Budget announced an additional £233 million for homelessness services, taking total spending to nearly £1 billion in 2025-26."
The freephone Centrepoint helpline is available for people aged 16-25 between Monday and Friday from 9am to 5pm, on 0808 800 0661.
More information is available at www.centrepoint.org.uk.
