Thousands of young people are at risk of facing homelessness this winter as a leading charity has warned that one young person faces destitution every four minutes.
Some 23,500 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 are expected to face homelessness this winter. This is 700 more than last year as the crisis worsens, according to new research from Centrepoint, the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity.
A significant increase is expected in the North West, East of England, and Yorkshire and The Humber compared to last year, as the charity added that at least one young person a day calls Centrepoint’s Helpline because a local council wrongly turned them away from homelessness support.
Official figures, alongside Centrepoint’s research, show that 101,460 young people in England reached out to their local councils for homelessness support between 2023 and 2024, a 12 per cent increase on the previous year (90,600).
Analysis of the government’s own data found that the number of young people owed homelessness support from their local council between April 2023 and March 2024 increased by over 3,500 (6.5 per cent) compared to the previous year, meaning that 58,870 16-24-year-olds were in danger of homelessness.
Jahz, 20, who lives in London, has been living in Centrepoint accommodation for two years after growing up in care. He told The Independent that it was between staying in the care system and losing all support, or moving to social housing where he could continue to receive support before moving on to a permanent residence.
“This isn't really the position that I want anyone to be in, regardless of age, young person or not,” he said. “Sometimes it's hard, or it feels impossible sometimes to imagine a situation where I get out of this point where it does sometimes feel like this is kind of how my life is always going to be, I'm never gonna take that step forward, things are always gonna kind of be tough for me.
He added: “I’d just like to live a quiet life where I don't really have to worry about financial stresses or anything else really.”
In order to highlight the prevalence of youth homelessness, the charity is launching an installation today in London’s Outernet titled ‘Winter Wanderland’ where the stories of young people like Jahz, who have experienced homelessness, are told through the objects that helped them survive through the uncertainty of homelessness.
The installation is set to contrast the capital’s Winter Wonderland attraction which receives 2.5 million visitors who spend nearly £100 million.
For Jahz, this includes his collection of teddy bears from throughout his experience in care and a wedding shirt his uncle gave him before he passed away from cystic fibrosis.
“I get teddies from every house I go to, everyone who's looked after me over the time I've been in care, and so I've got quite a few at this point,” he said. “It serves as like a reminder of all the places that like I've kind of been like kind of what I've been through.
Paul Brocklehurst, senior manager of the Centrepoint Helpline warned that some of the 23,5000 young people facing homelessness would likely wander the streets alone without anywhere safe to turn to.
“Many of them will call the Centrepoint Helpline because they don’t know where to turn or can’t access the support they’re entitled to”, he said. "Experiencing homelessness has a huge impact on a person's life journey, especially at a young age.
“Every young person deserves to feel safe in their own home and can thrive.
“But reality is that thousands will be reaching out for support this winter because they don't have that safety or stability."
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