Number of homeless youth in the UK exceeds government figures

According to a major new study by housing experts at Cambridge University the true number of young people who are homeless far exceeds government figures.

Some 83,000 homeless young people have had to rely on councils and charities for a roof over their heads during the past year – more than three times the 26,852 young people recorded in homeless figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government. And there are about 35,000 young people in homeless accommodation at any one time across Britain.

The “worryingly high” levels of young people using homelessness services across Britain is “a minimum estimate and it is likely that in reality more homeless young people access support across the UK”, the research said.

The study, by Cambridge University’s Centre for Housing and Planning Research, was commissioned by the homeless charity Centrepoint and provides the most comprehensive picture of youth homelessness to date. It draws on official figures in conjunction with examinations of 40 local authorities and a national poll of more than 2,000 16- to 25-year-olds.

 
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