Norfolk charity calls for more money to be put towards preventing homelessness
The predictions for England are lower than last year's estimate of around 24,400 young people, and the 29,500 estimate for winter 2022
The head of a charity in Norfolk is urging decision-makers to put extra funding into services that can help prevent more young people ending up on the streets.
Research from national charity- Centrepoint- which is predicting that nearly 23 thousand teenagers and youngsters could face homelessness this Christmas- across England.
"There's a crisis going on in that area"
John Lee is from YMCA Norfolk:
He told us why an up-tick in spending here, is so badly needed:
"Each year, we see housing become more and more unaffordable for young people. Be that due to rising rents or many now being on lower incomes.
"We're also seeing an increase in family breakdowns, as well. Many people who are now in our accommodation are there for that very reason.
"We know that for young people in Norfolk- it's nearly impossible to get support from a mental health team.
"There's a crisis going on in that area. In the county we've got some of the longest waiting lists out of anywhere in the country.
"For a young person who has experienced anxiety or depression it's hard to have a more stable tenancy or to hold one down".
The research in more detail:
The predictions for England are lower than last year's estimate of around 24,400 young people, and the 29,500 estimate for winter 2022.
Centrepoint said the true numbers can often be higher due to so-called hidden homelessness such as sofa-surfing by people who do not present to local authorities as needing accommodation.
The charity also carried out a small survey of 120 people living in Centrepoint services this summer, and found two thirds (66%) felt anxious for their safety because they had nowhere to stay at Christmas.
The charity said its snow globe installation on London'sSouth Bank is intended to be a "powerful" reminder of the struggles homeless young people face.
"Councils need the powers and resources to build more of the genuinely affordable homes"
Adam Hug, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association (LGA), said councils are "doing their best to meet their duties to vulnerable young people at a time when they are under mounting pressure to find suitable homes for an ever-increasing number of people".
He added: "The chronic shortage of suitable housing across the country means that councils are increasingly having to turn to alternative options for accommodation at a significant cost - there are currently 113,000 households living in temporary accommodation, at a cost to councils of £1.75 billion a year.
"In order to effectively reduce homelessness and tackle housing waiting lists, councils need the powers and resources to build more of the genuinely affordable homes our communities desperately need."
What's the Government doing on this?
A Government spokesperson described the predicted figures as "simply unacceptable" and said they had "inherited record levels of homelessness which is having a devastating impact on young people".
They added: "This has to change - which is why we are taking urgent action to end homelessness for good.
"We have introduced an emergency £10 million fund to protect rough sleepers from the cold this winter and in the Budget announced an additional £233 million for homelessness services, taking total spending to nearly £1 billion in 2025-26."