1. Youth Homelessness in the North East Survey Findings 2017
Adele Irving, Department of Social Sciences, Northumbria University

2. Research Aims
Establish the regional picture of youth homelessness and identify changes over time.
Assess this against the national picture.
Inform policy and practice

3. Research Objectives The Extent of Youth Homelessness
The Causes of Youth Homelessness
Young People’s Support Needs
Local Authority Prevention Activities
Strategic Responses
Support Services
Temporary Accommodation
Moving On
Challenges facing young people and service providers

4. Methodology Two online surveys Single homeless people, aged 16-24
Local authorities
Providers
Single homeless people, aged 16-24
February 2017 / Previous 12 months 
Responses: 10 LAs, 10 Providers

5. Extent – A Potential Decrease?
1,386 persons of all ages presented as homeless in Feb 2017
Just 56 (4%) were
No LAs reported an increase in youth homelessness.
429 young people sought housing advice and support in Feb
2017.
More than ¾ of LAs reported a decrease in the number seeking advice and support.
103 being supported by providers In Feb 2017, compared to 224 in Feb 2016.
More than half reported a decrease or no change in demand for support .

6. Young People’s Experiences
LA Findings
Most common characteristics: being aged years old, being a young parent or pregnant young person
Less common characteristics: care leavers, having a history of offending
Effectiveness of provision?
Provider Findings
All characteristics common among young service users (33-47%)
Identifying as LGBT
24 had slept rough – double Feb 2016

7. Causes of Homelessness

8. Parents No Longer Accommodating
Young People’s Sexual Orientation
Substance misuse
Violence/abuse perpetrated by the young person
Financial difficulties
Overcrowding

9. Support Needs

10. Complex Needs
Just over a third perceived increases in: the number of young people presenting with complex needs; the complexity of needs .
The biggest issue going forward is young people with more and more complex needs that are coming through the care system and will soon be turning 18. Already, a lot of these young people are finding it difficult to maintain placements in residential and foster placements which can mean that they are thrust into supported accommodation, despite not quite being ready for this jump. In addition, supported accommodation providers are under pressure to deal with these increasingly challenging young people and the danger is that they will terminate their accommodation, leaving these vulnerable clients homeless and thrust into inappropriate accommodation which can exasperate their wellbeing in a very negative way’. (LA Respondent)

11. Support Services
Internal service provision has increased or remained unchanged over time
More provide health support than previously
Key: Food parcels, parenting skills, digital inclusion, social events
A less positive picture regarding external provision.
Most reported turning young people away – high level needs / high risk

12. LA Prevention Activity
61 positive actions to prevent youth homelessness
22 cases of successful homelessness relief
8 LAs judged that they had an adequate range of prevention services available in their area
Figures suggest that joint working arrangements may be less effective in the region than they were several years ago.

13. Homelessness Reduction Act
Of 21 respondents, just one (5%) was highly optimistic that the HRA would have a positive impact on levels of and the management of homelessness, five (24%) were optimistic, eight (38%) were cautiously optimistic, four (19%) were not optimistic and three (14%) unable to comment. Additional funds Already standard practice Admin/financial burden Funding Cuts Welfare reform

14. Accommodation Options / Move On
Broadly unchanged levels of emergency accommodation
Concerns: Insufficient bed spaces; client-risks
Increasing use of B&B accommodation
Move on to social landlords most common
Rent deposit or cashless bond schemes common
Widespread confidence in quality of move on accommodation
Securing affordable accommodation is difficult

15. Conclusion A serious – yet perhaps somewhat stable – problem
Mix of individual and structural challenges
Mental Health
Wider roll-out of UC and the proposed removal of the automatic entitlement to Housing Benefit for certain 18 to 21 year olds