Modern childhoods are adapting to a trend where sofa surfing is increasingly common.
In recent years, there has been a concerning increase in the number of young care leavers facing homelessness. According to a study by Become, a national charity for children in care and care leavers, the number of young care leavers aged 18-20 who are homeless has risen by 54% over the last five years [1].
This troubling trend has been further exacerbated in the past year, with 4,300 care leavers aged 18-20 being assessed as homeless, up from 2,790 in 2018-19 [2]. This rise is more than twice as fast as the overall number of homeless households and 15 times faster than the overall number of young people facing homelessness [2].
The reasons behind this surge are complex and multifaceted. One of the key contributing factors is the housing barriers that care leavers face. Due to local connection tests, many care leavers struggle to qualify for homelessness support [1]. Additionally, current guidance for prioritizing care leavers in social housing is non-binding, leading to inconsistent implementation by local authorities, especially in high-demand areas [1].
Another significant factor is the mental health challenges that many care leavers face. Housing instability can exacerbate mental health problems, making it difficult for young people to focus on education or work, thereby perpetuating a cycle of homelessness [1][4].
Furthermore, many care leavers lack sufficient post-care support, including housing assistance, kinship care, and stable adult relationships. In contrast to countries like Denmark, where state-mandated aftercare support up to age 23 reduces homelessness risk, many care leavers in the UK are left without the necessary support [4].
To address this pressing issue, several measures have been suggested. These include legislative changes, such as introducing a local connection exemption in homelessness legislation to ensure care leavers do not face disqualification from support based on arbitrary locality rules [1]. Additionally, making housing priority for care leavers a legal duty rather than a recommendation could ensure they receive timely access to social housing regardless of placement history [1].
Integrated mental health and housing support, providing psychosocial interventions alongside stable housing options, is another proposed solution to address both mental health and housing instability [3]. Expanding aftercare provision, including targeted preventive interventions like extended care, kinship care, and support for education and relationships, could help build resilience and reduce homelessness risk [4].
Local authorities are also testing innovative homelessness interventions, such as Housing First and prevention pathfinders, aimed at improving housing outcomes specifically for care leavers [3].
The rising homelessness among young care leavers underscores systemic gaps in housing access, mental health support, and aftercare services. Addressing these systemic issues requires legal reforms, prioritized housing allocation, integrated support services, and expanded aftercare programs [1][3][4].
References:
[1] Become (2023) 'The State of Care Leaving in the UK 2023', Become. [Online] Available at: https://www.becomecharity.org.uk/our-work/policy-and-research/the-state-of-care-leaving-in-the-uk/
[2] Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (2023) 'Statistical Data on Rough Sleeping and Homelessness in England 2023', Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistical-data-on-rough-sleeping-and-homelessness-in-england
[3] Homeless Link (2023) 'Housing First for Care Leavers', Homeless Link. [Online] Available at: https://www.homeless.org.uk/our-work/ending-homelessness/housing-first/housing-first-for-care-leavers
[4] Corby, D., et al. (2020) 'Beyond the care cliff: Improving housing outcomes for young people leaving care', Joseph Rowntree Foundation. [Online] Available at: https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/beyond-care-cliff-improving-housing-outcomes-young-people-leaving-care
- Despite the escalating number of young care leavers becoming homeless, there is a lack of legal reforms and consistent implementation of housing guidelines for these individuals, making it difficult for them to secure stable housing.
- Home-and-garden stability can aid in diminishing mental health challenges faced by care leavers, allowing them to focus on their education, work, and overall lifestyle improvement; however, there is a need for increased post-care support and mental health interventions in the UK for this demographic.
