An estimated 121,000 young people in the UK asked the council for help with homelessness in 2019-20. However, it is worth bearing in mind that not everyone reaches the council for help and many more 16-24-year-olds are hidden homeless. This is particularly worrying considering that youth homelessness was already rising before the pandemic hit.
Since the Homelessness Reduction Act came into force in England in 2018, everyone experiencing or at risk of homelessness should receive an assessment and support to prevent or relieve their homelessness.
Of the young people who receive support to relieve homelessness only 36% secure accommodation, which is considerably less than the general population. Factors affecting youth homelessness go beyond the support provided by councils, including limited and inappropriate housing stock, scarce and insecure employment opportunities, as well as limited social security support for under-25s.
Almost half of the councils still plan to make changes in order to implement the law fully. Due to a rise in homelessness during the pandemic, the Government must now urgently provide the funding and support required to reach every young person facing homelessness.
Three ways the government can end youth homelessness:
- Establish a multiple-year financial settlement to help councils carry out their duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act.
- Launch a national online information hub that provides clear advice on how to seek help for homelessness.
- Local councils should be allowed to fast-track extremely vulnerable young people at the initial homeless assessment.
Learn more in their new report: Beyond the Numbers: The Scale of Youth Homelessness in The UK.
Date
Source
Countries this relates to
Language of materials
Topics
You might like..
0
4
A survey by Prince's Trust Youth Index has been made for young people to share their COVID-19 pandemic experiences.
More than 2000 respondents, 200 Welsh, expressed their thoughts and feelings; 63% of 16-25 age group felt constant anxiety…
0
14
The article focuses on the most significant changes Brexit brings with itself that affect children and young people. The UK officially left the EU on January 31, and with that an 11-month transition period started.
Some of the raised issues:
The…
0
2
Medway’s children’s services team provides assistance for looked-after teenagers over the age of 16 who are still in need of help. These young people receive support from social workers and leaving-care personal advisers to learn more…
0
1
The Guardian is reporting about the benefits from twinning nurseries with care homes for the elderly. The study shows children who spend time with older people are more likely to improve their language, reading and social skills, which is why a…
0
18
Every child should have the right to live in a safe home and protective environment, but according to the Generation Homeless report, 135,000 children are currently homeless in Britain.
Many homeless children and their families live …
0
4
As a first country in the UK Scotland has made it a crime for parents to smack their children. The new regulation will grant the children the same protection from assault as adults.
Smacking in England is illegal, excluding cases where it is used as…
0
30
The article below was written by Phil Nash, correspondent for the Immigration Advice Service, an organisation of immigration solicitors providing legal support for students from overseas looking to study in the UK.
The views expressed are that…
0
1
Sky News talked to 18 young people who came to the UK as unaccompanied minors from the Middle East or North Africa, trying to understand their decision to come to the UK and not stay in some of the other EU countries. Sky News illustrated their…
0
1
After almost 4 years of negotiations, the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. Despite Brexit, our UK members remain central to our efforts to put children at the heart of Europe. We stay united in our common cause for protecting and promoting…
0
3
Media regulator Ofcom interviewed 3,200 children and parents around the UK as part of a 2019 study on children’s electronic device usage habits.
Here are some of the results:
Mobile phones are the most commonly used devices among…
0
4
The BBC reports on the newly introduced smacking ban bill in Scotland, presenting the country as the very first part of the United Kingdom to do so.
Before the bill, it was allowed and quite common among parents and carers to use smacking as a form…
0
17
Crimes involving the sexual grooming of children have been on the rise in recent years, according to the British police in Shropshire. From April 2018 until April of 2019, local law enforcement authorities investigated 70 percent more child sexual…
0
1
A campaign by charities in the UK has emphasized the importance of a coordinated response for vulnerable young people aged 16–17. Support for children in need stops at 18, but very few vulnerable teenagers are referred to adult services.…
0
According to the UK parliament, the government has failed to provide a policy that will reduce the gap between the country’s rich and poor kids and provide adequate support to the youngest and least well of members of British society. The…
0
21
Four bloggers, Bethany, Emily, Jennah and Laura, shared their thoughts on the mental health support that will be more than necessary for young people after lockdown.
Bethany (15) says that spending this much time without your friends and classmates…
