Tackle homelessness to end poverty

A report released in 2000 found that almost one in four children in England lives in housing that fails to meet the minimum standards of decency. Meanwhile, the Barrow Cadbury Commission reported in 2006 that an estimated 250,000 16- to 25-year-olds experience at least one episode of homelessness each year. This gives rise to an increased risk of problems. A 2006 study of 160 homeless people aged 25 and under found that 95 per cent had taken drugs, 17 per cent were problem drug users and almost 25 per cent had overdosed on either drugs or alcohol.

In half of the cases, substance misuse was a reason for leaving home, with other factors including family conflict and the emotional impact of abuse. About 70 per cent of these young people had been diagnosed with depression or other mental health problems, while 95 per cent admitted to having committed at least one offence.