Enough young people sought help for homelessness in the UK last year to fill the Albert Hall 25 times, but tens of thousands are getting no assistance from councils, figures show.
In a worsening youth housing crisis, the number of 16- to 24-year-olds presenting to councils as homeless or at risk – often after rows with family – increased 5% in 2022-23 compared with the previous year, according to freedom of information data. It equates to more than 370 people seeking help every day – 135,733 people in a year.
The figures come nearly four years after the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, said the government would “work tirelessly to bring [homelessness] to an end”. Separate data released on Tuesday showed a 12% annual increase in the number of people sleeping rough this summer in London – more than 4,000 and including 309 people aged under 25.
It also comes as the home secretary, Suella Braverman, said on Saturday that she wants to put a stop to the “nuisance and distress” caused by homeless people pitching tents on public streets, claiming it was a “lifestyle choice”.
One in three young people who approached their council in England for help were not assessed and were often unable to even get through to phone lines. Support workers said this was leaving people at risk of rough sleeping and exploitation, for example by landlords who demanded sex in lieu of rent.
“These figures should keep policymakers and politicians awake at night,” said Balbir Kaur Chatrik, the director of policy and communications at the homelessness charity Centrepoint, which shared its research with the Guardian. “Not only are record levels of young people facing homelessness but, at the same time, fewer than ever are getting the support they need.”
The figures, obtained from town halls using the Freedom of Information Act, showed London and north-west England have the highest rates of youth homelessness, with more than one in 50 young people presenting as homeless or at risk of homelessness. There was a 10% increase in London to 20,200 young people presenting to councils – an additional 1,900 compared with the previous year.
Paul Brocklehurst, Centrepoint’s helpline senior manager, said young peoplewere too often unable to get through to councils on the phone and that after Covid-era moves to remote communications, many councils no longer accommodate in-person presentations.
“It’s heartbreaking and demoralising for these young people, who thought they would get help but they can’t get anything at all,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “We are determined to prevent homelessness before it occurs. That’s why we are providing up to 2,400 homes for people at risk, with vulnerable young people one of the target groups for funding and support. We are also giving councils £1bn over three years through the homelessness prevention grant.
“For young people leaving care, we have provided up to £3m this year to 56 local authorities where need is greatest. Over £2m of the rough sleeping initiative will also go towards funding youth services in local areas where it is needed most and will provide support tailored to individual needs.”
Young people can be pushed into homelessness due to violence, abuse and trauma at home or in the care or criminal justice system. They face lower pay and minimum wage jobs in the labour markets, increasing their risk of poverty.
There were increases in the number of young people reaching out to their councils for help in seven of the nine regions across England.
“It’s clear some local authorities are simply overwhelmed with the number of people facing homelessness and, with limited resources, have little choice but to triage cases to support those where need is highest,” said Chatrik. “In practice, this means little more than ignoring their statutory duties and, in some cases, a systemic prejudice against homeless young people.”
