CYP Now - Good Idea: Homeless youth create forum to engage MPs

This 100-strong forum is helping young people who are, or have experience of, being homeless raise the profile of youth homelessness by meeting ministers and MPs to explain about the problem and directly lobby for policy changes that will improve support.

The Youth Homeless Parliament (YHP) gives young people who have experienced homelessness an opportunity to influence policy and support services.

Developed by eight youth homelessness charities, including St Basils, YMCA England and the Foyer Federation, the YHP creates a platform for 100 young people aged 16- to 25-years-old to share their experiences with senior government ministers.

It was developed after Birmingham Erdington MP Jack Dromey invited 100 young people from seven of the charities to create and present a homeless youth manifesto in December 2012.

They presented their manifesto to Dromey, planning minister Nick Boles and Bath MP Don Foster in a parliamentary first that saw young homeless people directly debating with ministers.

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