Figures obtained by the youth homelessness charity through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request finds that across England, 119,300 young people faced homelessness in the last financial year, the equivalent of one in every 52 young people.
According to Centrepoint's analysis, seven out of the nine regions across England saw increases in the number of young people reaching out to their councils for help.
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Presentations across the East of England and London rose by almost 2,000 compared with the previous year, while the East Midlands saw a 1,700 decrease.
Centrepoint has raised concerns that since the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) in 2018, which gives councils greater powers to approve or deny applications for support, more young people are being denied assessments for support despite an increase in applications.
In the financial year 2021/22, 112,500 young people reached out for help but only 68 per cent were assessed by their councils.
The charity’s most recent FOI reveals that in 2022/23 119,300 young people approached their councils for help – but just 65 per cent were assessed, meaning that over 40,000 young people were left without support.
Balbir Kaur Chatrik, director of policy and communications at Centrepoint said: “While councils should of course be following the spirit and the letter of the Homelessness Reduction Act, you can hardly blame them for falling short. Our data bears witness to a total system failure - and some of the country’s most vulnerable young people are paying the price.
“That is why we so urgently need to find the solutions that both stem the flow of homelessness and help those already in crisis. Ending youth homelessness requires a complete step change and cross-governmental approach but ministers could help thousands of young people in crisis today by giving councils more resources.”
The figures come days after Home Secretary Suella Braverman sparked criticism after describing sleeping rough as a “lifestyle choice”.
Braverman wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “The British people are compassionate. We will always support those who are genuinely homeless. But we cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice.”
“Nobody in Britain should be living in a tent on our streets. There are options for people who don’t want to be sleeping rough, and the government is working with local authorities to strengthen wraparound support including treatment for those with drug and alcohol addiction,” she added.
Charities, including Centrepoint, hit out at the claim in an open letter signed by 15 charities.
It states: “Sleeping on the street is not a lifestyle choice. Laying blame with people forced to sleep rough will only push people further away from help into poverty, putting them at risk of exploitation. At the extreme end we will see an increase in deaths and fatalities which are totally preventable.”
Katharine Sacks-Jones, chief executive of care charity Become wrote on X: “Let’s not forget one in four of all people facing homelessness have been in care as children. Tell me again how it’s a lifestyle choice.”.
According to Crisis, in the last 12 months, in London, there has been a 29 per cent increase in people experiencing their first night on the streets as a consequence of poverty amid the current cost-of-living crisis.
