When 17-year-old Samia turned to her housing department after being thrown out of a violent home, she was offered accommodation in the Sunny Hotel in a nearby area of west London.
Samia ended up staying for three months in a room she shared with rats and cockroaches, surrounded by people of all ages, who shouted and threw things through the night. The teenager was scared to open her door.
At 17, Samia fell into one of the new categories of "priority need", enshrined in the Homelessness Act 2002. But her experience calls into question the extent to which young people, even priority need cases like hers, have been helped by the legislation.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
