Young homeless people face a bleak Christmas

Isabel Morris of EveryYouth warns of the reality facing young people this winter – and how people can show support by joining a charitable Sleep Out

Picture: (iStock)

Last year, 129,000 young people came face to face with the bleak reality of homelessness.Only 9% of these young people were housed. Services up and down the country are already operating at crisis point.This winter we are looking into the eye of the perfect storm.

The cost-of-living crisis is mounting pressure on every household, exposing even more young people to homelessness.On top of that, the cost-of-living crisis is making it harder to help young people move on from supported accommodation.

Rising rents, rent deposits and energy bills means taking the first step towards living independently can seem impossible. As a result, young people who are ready to move on cannot, preventing others moving in and receiving the help they desperately need.

This bottleneck of services will be a catastrophe for the most vulnerable young people in our society. Those who should have received support are falling through the gaps.We recently met a young woman called Ellie. After months in supported accommodation working two jobs and building up her confidence, she was ready to move into her own home.

But despite all her hard work, a rent deposit of hundreds of pounds and soaring energy bills stood in her way of taking that next step.

Thankfully, EveryYouth were able to cover these costs and provide specialist housing support staff to help her organise her move.

We’re delighted to be able to help young people like Ellie, but there are so many others that desperately need our help too.That’s why we are so grateful to the 25 brave people who are fighting to make a difference. They have given up their beds to sleep outside for one night and raise these vital funds.

People like Siân Edwards and David Pugh who are participating in their first Sleep Out. Siân said: “I know just how reliant my own twenty-something kids are on us, as parents. This is the next generation - at the biggest transition of their lives and at a time when getting a job is unbelievably hard, getting a home is unaffordable and when access to support needs to be protected so that young people know that we believe in them.”

David said: “It’s nearly six months since I left corporate life, spending lot’s of this time volunteering at homeless charities in Bristol and developing a passion to help fight homelessness, in particular youth homelessness in the UK. This is my first Sleep Out and I’m very proud to be supporting EveryYouth to raise awareness of the charity and the challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness.”

As well as veteran sleepers like Naomi Seward! Naomi said: “This will be my third Sleep Out as I’m really passionate about raising awareness of the causes of youth homelessness. Timely intervention can make the world of difference for young people facing homelessness and we need to support them.

“Growing up in the 21st Century is hard. As a partner in a global law firm I have a truly privileged life that I could not have imagined in my 20’s. I have achieved many things through hard work, but I have also been very lucky. We don’t choose our parents or the place we are born. Both of these have been instrumental in my success.”

Whilst you are cosy in your beds at home, spare a thought for these brave people and consider joining them to make a difference today.

Find out more about EveryYouth and their Sleep Out here: https://every-youth-sleep-out.justgiving-sites.com/Isabel Morris is the Senior Communications Officer at youth homelessness charity EveryYouth.