Almost half of youth homelessness caused by parents

Homeless Link's annual Young and Homeless report found that of those young homeless people who approached a local authority for help last year, 44 per cent said their parents were no longer willing to accommodate them.

The survey, collated from responses provided by 169 homelessness charities and local authority housing departments, also found that 14 per cent said they were homeless because a friend or relative was no longer willing to accommodate them. A further 13 per cent reported being a victim of abuse or violence.

Based on the findings, Homeless Link has reiterated its call for proposals to restrict housing benefit for young people aged under 25 to be dropped.

Rick Henderson, chief executive of Homeless Link, said the many young people for whom staying at home is not an option "need a helping hand, not an additional hurdle".

"A severe shortage of affordable housing and the highest levels of youth unemployment in nearly 20 years mean many young people face significant barriers to achieving their goals.

"We are calling on the government to invest in their futures by ensuring the support is in place to make sure they have somewhere safe to call home."

The report also found that more than 40 per cent of young homeless people are not in education, employment or training (Neet), one in five (20 per cent) have substance misuse or mental health issues, and around the same proportion have poor numeracy and literacy skills.

The report indicates that in many areas support services are under pressure and finding suitable accommodation for young people is becoming more problematic.

More than two thirds (68 per cent) of homelessness agencies said there was not enough youth-specific emergency accommodation available in their area and 43 per cent of local authorities reported placing young people in unsuitable bed and breakfast accommodation.

Martin Houghton-Brown, chief executive of homelessness charity Depaul UK, said it is essential that there is age-appropriate emergency provision available for young homeless people. 

"This group is already extremely vulnerable and it is vital they are provided with accommodation which is safe, not placed with adults, or in unsuitable bed and breakfast accommodation.

"An effective emergency response to youth homelessness can give young people the support they need at a critical juncture, addressing situations before they become even more severe and helping to prevent further crises."

Government figures show that between 1 October 2012 and 30 September 2013, 15,680 households headed by young people were accepted as statutory homeless in England.

However, research by homeless charity Centrepoint from 2011, estimates that at least 80,000 young people are homeless in the UK at some point every year.