London councils have today revealed that a record number of children in the capital will be homeless this Christmas, with estimates suggesting that there is at least one homeless child in every classroom across the city. And the problem is just as acute with young people aged between 16-24. The charity Centrepoint estimates that 23,500 young people will present themselves as homeless or at risk this winter, while official figures show that more than 78,000 households across England are owed homelessness support. Being ‘owed’ this support, means that the council must take reasonable steps to help them secure housing. It is costing the country dear — youth homelessness alone costs £8.5 billion a year. These are shocking figures that suggest we are close to a national emergency.
Solutions often fall to under-resourced councils and charities. I am the Director of Independent Living at Centrepoint, and it is absolutely clear to me that the crisis of youth homelessness cannot be ended by one agency, public authority or charity working alone. The scale of this social blight demands a determined, collaborative effort. We are the UK’s leading charity which is working to end youth homelessness, and have entered into one such collaboration, along with the London borough of Lambeth.
