Roundabout joins national collective against youth homelessness crisis

In the past year alone, statistics show that 129,000 16 to 25-year-olds across the UK went to their local council for help because they were facing or already experiencing homelessness.

That’s an approximate 353 vulnerable young people every day or one every four minutes - an enormous group, left exposed to the harmful effects of homelessness.

And that’s why 80 of the UK’s biggest youth and youth homelessness charities have come together to tackle the crisis.

The collective, which includes national charities such as Centrepoint and YMCA and regional organisations like Roundabout - along with other services and specialist providers - have united to call on government to commit to a cross-departmental strategy to end youth homelessness.

With their wealth of experience and evidence behind them, the charities are spreading a message of practical hope, calling for a systems change to stem the escalating crisis.

Key areas include prevention - supporting young people to avoid homelessness crises in the first place - providing better housing opportunities and ensuring that fairer pay and resources are available to empower young people to build successful, independent lives

Together, the collective is calling for the major political parties to commit to the strategy in their General Election manifestos and for government to adopt the proposed strategy.

Roundabout Chief Executive Ben Keegan commented: “Roundabout already has a major and important presence across South Yorkshire, supporting vulnerable young people at many levels.

“We now support well over 350 young people aged 16 to 25 every day, providing emergency accommodation in our hostel for those most at risk, supporting young people in residential projects in Sheffield and Rotherham and providing key services delivering comprehensive programmes of training, involvement and empowerment which help to prepare young people for independent living.

“Our Homeless Prevention Advice service, based in Sheffield city centre, offers support to young people who are homeless, or who are at risk of becoming homeless, listening and giving advice about available housing options, from planned moves to emergency accommodation.

“The reality is, though, that more than 5,000 people, including 2,000 children, are currently recorded as homeless in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

“And with private rents and living costs continuing to spiral, thousands of young people are not just facing a a future filled with worry but are also at risk of losing any safe space they might have had.

“That is why Roundabout has joined forces with fellow organisation across the UK to demand that action is taken now at the highest level.”