“…young people get paid less often… the benefits that they receive are at a lower rate than adults would be, despite the fact that their costs and their rent would be exactly the same…” Meghan Roach
In this episode we speak with Linda Hien and Meghan Roach from New Horizon Youth Centre. We talk about their work with young people, and the recent collaboration with the LSE on a new report that focusses on the barriers to support for young people facing homelessness.
1. Underfunding
The cost-of-living crisis is putting more pressure on households, which in some cases is leading to young people being asked to leave their family home. Add to this the underfunding of local authorities, lack of affordable housing, poor work opportunities with inadequate pay, and the picture for young people facing homelessness seems rather bleak.
2. What works
Preventative measures to provide support to young people at key moments in their life is vitally important, whether that’s support provided at school, or within families.
For those young people who are homeless, the voluntary sector is already providing some good opportunities with day services where they are supported. Creating safe spaces during the day, where they can access good resources. However, the demand outweighs the supply and housing is a big challenge.
3. Better support for young people
An intentional approach from the State starting with a national youth homelessness strategy, similar to that of Ireland, could provide a more comprehensive support mechanism for young people.
4. Find out more:
New Horizon Youth Centre - https://nhyouthcentre.org.uk/
We hope you enjoy this episode.
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