Youth homelessness Context, scale and priorities for the sector Dr Beth Watts Research Fellow, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh @BethWatts494 @ISPHERE_HWU

Key sources

Context: Young people systematically disadvantaged across labour and housing market and within the welfare system Labour market Unemployment 3x overall rate; 5x more likely to be on zero-hours contract; excluded from National Living Wage; youth poverty higher and increasing faster than for older age groups; under 25s at most (relative) risk of experiencing destitution Housing market Challenges accessing all tenures; living at home for longer; more likely to be sharing and more likely to live in high rent, insecure PRS; PRS now key driver of homelessness Welfare system Young people’s status as citizens with access to welfare support on equal terms as working age adults in process of dramatic erosion Via central government - HB cuts targeting 18-21 year olds and < 35 year olds; LA prioritisation - budget cuts heavily impacted youth services; and local discretion - YP at far greater risk of being sanctioned, stricter conditionality regime from 2017 SAR, LHA rates/caps and sanctions having biggest negative impact on (youth) homelessness

Benefit sanctions and conditionality Homeless service users 2x as likely to be sanctioned as other JSA claimants; result of systemic and personal barriers to compliance, not wilful non-compliance; homeless easements rarely utilised (Batty et al, 2015)

Youth homelessness policy Rehousing duty for ‘priority’ groups; Johnson vs. Solihull; Southwark Judgement; ‘Staying Put’ arrangements Positive story on prevention Investment programmes, including several targeting youth homelessness but… 42% LAs still don’t feel they have adequate tools to prevent homelessness of young people in their local area LAs report often finding it difficult to provide meaningful assistance to: (1) Single people aged 25-34 (54%) (2) Households with complex needs (51%) and (3) non-care leaver 18-24 year olds (44%) 60% of providers report being unable to assist some young people because needs to high, or NRPF; 50% because violent/high risk or limited capacity, 40% because no local connection

Scale and trends Significant decline in levels of statutory youth homelessness since 2008/09 reflecting emphasis on prevention – by 38% in England Homeless Link’s annual survey, 68% of providers reported seeing more young homeless people in 2015 (compared to 45% last year) Recent estimate that 83,000 young people in touch with homelessness services across UK in 2013/14, (75,000 in 2006/7 and 78-80,000 in 2008/9) 871 18-25 year olds slept rough in London in 2014/15, up 40% since 2011/12 (only 9 under 18s); rough sleeping across England up 30% over last year and doubled since 2010 Hidden homelessness: household formation among 20-29 year olds down (particularly in SE/London); overcrowding among 16-24s up across GB 86% LAs think homelessness among 18-21 year olds will increase as a result of changes announced in Summer Budget, 60% that it will also increase among 22-24 year olds

Risk factors for youth homelessness Care leaver; abuse/neglect or ran away as a child; domestic violence, mental health or substance issues in family home; truanting or excluded from school; left school with no qualifications; learning disabilities; LGBT; young offenders Key role of poverty – association between young age and homelessness accounted for by young people’s disproportionate experience of poverty “as ever, the key factor in whether a young person becomes homeless is around financial inequalities and financial deprivation… the majority of young people who go through homelessness ultimately are under privileged”

Homelessness and income

The complex needs challenge Over half of young people living in homeless accommodation have complex needs; a third mental health problems (up 11% on 2014); over half of providers unable to help some young people because too violent/high risk A quarter of those experiencing severe and multiple deprivation (combination of homelessness, offending and/or substance misuse) under 25 (almost 150,000 young people) Why increasing? Improved awareness; stricter targeting; more effective prevention; but also reduction services, accessed later; move on harder so developing more complex needs during homelessness Average stay of 16 months in homelessness organisations before move on, twice that in 2014 Severe and multiple deprivation estimated to cost £10.1bn per year

Priorities for the sector Effectively target prevention efforts in light of very clear ‘red flags’ regarding young people at most risk Targeted versus universal school-based prevention Uptake and effectiveness of mediation services Whole-family interventions and support Access to respite/time-out emergency accommodation Provide good quality genuinely affordable accommodation At rents that won’t lock young people into homelessness and/or unemployment; financial models that enable low rent; huge but crucial challenge as welfare safety net weakens Minimise support costs, minimise capital/building costs, bring together funding streams, investors and ‘in kind’ contributions, demonstrate cost-effectiveness Stable accommodation options for young people with complex needs, Housing First for young people Improve the employment offer for young homeless people Closer partnerships with mainstream employers Provision of pre- and in-work support

Gaps in the evidence base Accurate data, comparable over time, on scale of youth homelessness Effectiveness of different approaches to prevention inc. mediation, conciliation and whole-family/parenting support What are key components of successful early intervention? Effectiveness of accommodation options, including congregate versus non-congregate (community hosting/scatter site) models Which models minimise impacts of negative peer pressure; ‘institutionalisation’; loss of independent living skills; work disincentive effects? Long-term well-being (financial/psychological) of adults who experienced youth homelessness Which interventions mitigate known association between experiencing homelessness and poor outcomes later in life (poverty, debt, SMD etc.)?