23,500 young people facing homelessness this winter in worsening crisis, warns leading charity
Thousands of young people are at risk of homelessness this winter as a leading charity warns that a young person faces poverty every four minutes.
Approximately 23,500 young people aged 16 to 24 are expected to face homelessness this winter. That’s 700 more than last year as the crisis worsens, according to new research from Centrepoint, the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity.
The charity added that at least one young person a day was calling the Centrepoint Helpline after the local council mistakenly turned them away from homelessness support. A significant increase compared to last year is expected in the North West, East of England and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Official figures, as well as Centrepoint’s research, show that 101,460 young people in England reached out to local councils for homelessness support between 2023 and 2024; this is a 12 percent increase from the previous year (90,600).
Analysis of the government’s own data found that the number of young people owing homelessness support from their local council between April 2023 and March 2024 increased by over 3,500 (6.5%) on the previous year, meaning 58,870 people aged 16-24 were at risk of homelessness.
Jahz, 20, from London, has been living in Centrepoint accommodation for two years after growing up in care. he said Independent He said there was a continuum between remaining in the care system and losing all support, or moving into social housing where he could continue to receive support before moving into permanent residence.
“This is not the position I want anyone to be in, regardless of age, young or not,” he said. “Sometimes it feels hard or sometimes impossible to imagine getting out of this place, sometimes into a situation where I feel like my life will always be like this, I will never be able to take that step forward, things will always be hard for me.
She added: “I’d like to live a quiet life where I don’t really have to worry about financial stresses or anything else.”
To highlight the prevalence of youth homelessness, the charity is launching an installation in London’s Outernet today titled ‘Winterland’, where young people who have experienced homelessness, like Jahz, tell their stories through objects that help them survive the uncertainty of homelessness.
The installation was designed to contrast with the capital’s Winter Wonderland attraction, which welcomed 2.5 million visitors who spent around £100 million.
For Jahz, this includes the teddy bear collection he acquired throughout his experience in care and the wedding shirt his uncle gave him before he died of cystic fibrosis.
“I get teddy bears from every home I go to, from everyone who took care of me during my time in care, and I have quite a few toys at this point,” she said. “It’s like it reminds me of all the places that are similar to what I’ve experienced in some ways.
Paul Brocklehurst, chief executive of Centrepoint Helpline, warned that some of the 23,5000 young people facing homelessness were likely to be wandering the streets alone with nowhere safe to go.
“Many 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. “The experience of homelessness, especially at a young age, has a huge impact on a person’s life journey.
“Every young person deserves to feel safe and able to thrive in their own home.
“But the reality is that thousands of people will be reaching out for support this winter because they don’t have that security or stability.”
