Some 1,411 young people aged 25 or under were seen rough sleeping by outreach workers in the capital during 2024/25, compared with 1,139 in 2023/24, and with 858 in 2019/20.
According to homeless charity New Horizon Youth Centre, family breakdown is the main driver of escalating youth homelessness, exacerbated by the cost of living crisis.
The data has been published by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) a multi-agency database funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA) , which reports that 13,231 people were seen rough sleeping during 2024/25, with 11% aged 25 or under.
Other top causes creating a “perfect storm” according to New Horizons, include a trend over at least the last 18 months of young refugees traveling to London to escape discrimination and access jobs.
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