Youth Homelessness: What works? Dr Beth Watts Research Fellow, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh @BethWatts494 @ISPHERE_HWU

Systematic disadvantage and deteriorating fortunes Life stage: 16-24 crucial and challenging developmental stage in the life-course Labour market: precarious employment, low wages, high unemployment, in-work poverty Housing market: access challenges across tenures, affordability, insecurity, delayed independence Welfare system: young people’s status as citizens with access to welfare support on equal terms as other age groups substantially eroded

Young people 3x more likely to have experienced homelessness in last 5 years than overall population

Young people more likely to be in poverty than any other age group

Policy context Southwark (09), Johnson v. Solihull (15), Homelessness Reduction Bill Housing Options (03), Positive Pathway model (now in 2/3 LAs) ‘Staying Put’ arrangements and extension of after care support Investment programmes, including targeting youth homelessness Restrictions to welfare entitlements of young people 42% LAs say they lack adequate tools to prevent youth homelessness 18-24 year olds 3rd most difficult group to provide meaningful assistance to

Benefit sanctions and conditionality =

Statutory homeless acceptances (England)

Scale 13,000 statutory acceptances of YP headed household in 2015/16… Estimated 64,000 young people in England (83,000 UK wide) in touch with homelessness services in 2013/14 830 people aged 25 or under seen rough sleeping in London in 2015/16, slight decrease on 2014/15 figures, which were up 40% since 2011/12 Scale of hidden youth homelessness unclear – some very high estimates, household formation among YP down (particularly in SE/London); overcrowding among YP up across GB, higher numbers of YP living at home

Causes, risk factors and profile Key underpinning role of poverty Relationship breakdown primary immediate cause Risk factors: Some indications that increasing proportion of young homeless have complex needs Care (‘edge of care’) leaver Truanting/exclusion from school; left with no qualifications; abuse/neglect or ran away as a child domestic violence, mental health or substance issues in family home young offenders; learning disabilities; LGBT

St Basils Positive Pathway model Prevention Accommodation options Employment

The Geelong Project, Australia. (1) Personalised prevention and early help The Geelong Project, Australia. Early intervention place-based model of collective impact. Schools and youth services work to common vision sharing data and outcome measures. Population screening for risk (in schools) Referral to support Active monitoring > short term support, > wrap-around youth focused and family centred case management Evaluation ongoing, initial indications of significant fall in young people accessing youth homelessness services Improved identification of those at risk via ‘red flags’ by/in schools, health services, youth services, Job Centres, police, social care Whole-family interventions Mediation: encouraging but still limited evidence Family Intervention/Support Projects: strong evidence from UK/US on reducing ASB, offending, substance misuse, what about homelessness?

(2) Non-institutional, poverty-informed accommodation options Affordable: tackle poverty/unemployment trap of current models Secure: address pitfalls of ‘transitional’ models; improve PRS Non-institutional: mainstream housing not separate institutions Nightstop, Supported Lodgings. Clear evidence that SL achieves better outcomes than ‘congregate’ models Sharing : Peer Landlords (all age), Thames Reach (evaluated), Supportive Flatmates (YP), Rock Trust. Appropriate support: ‘Light touch’ support options to keep rent affordable where appropriate Intensive, flexible support for those with complex needs e.g. Housing First for Youth, Supported Lodgings ‘plus’/fostering models, small scale Psychologically Informed supported accommodation =

(4) Re-integrative employment support Integration of youth homelessness and employment provision Build partnerships with local employers to promote access to supported opportunities in real workplaces St Basil’s Live and Work in Birmingham and OVO/IP1625 Future Builders in Bristol Pre- and in-work support Job coaches: improve re-integration (x3.7) and job-sustainment; particularly effective with 18-24 year olds. Individual Placement and Support: targets those with complex needs; ‘place, support and train’, strong evidence base Asset-based approach

5 principles to inform responses to those facing poverty combined with complex needs Personalisation: open-ended, persistent, flexible and co-ordinated support. ‘Whole-person’ ‘whole-family’ approaches which take into account underlying causes of complex needs and challenging behaviours Deinstitutionalisation: as far as possible, people should have the option of staying in mainstream housing, rather than separate institutions Reintegration: enabling people to go to work and other ordinary social settings Asset-based: interventions focusing on an individual’s strengths Poverty-informed: dealing with the financial and material hardship that people face, not just their social or personal needs or behavioural issues