The Department for Communities and Local Government, which was created last month, claims the number of young people - defined as 16- and 17-year-olds and 18- to 20-year-old care-leavers - accepted as homeless by local authorities has fallen from 2,600 to 1,800 over the past three years.
But Balbir Chatrik, director of policy at Centrepoint, which tackles youth homelessness, says: "Our experience is the number of homeless young people has not decreased. It's important authorities don't start cutting services."
Young people account for nine per cent of the homeless population among priority need groups, up from eight per cent in 2003.
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