At-Risk Youth | Commonweal Housing

At-Risk Youth

Summary

Childhood circumstances are hugely correlative with homelessness outcomes later in life. Children who grow up in care, or around violence and criminal activity, are far more likely to end up facing homelessness as an adult. These trends are worsening - in 2024, the Become charity reported a 54% increase in care leavers (18-20 year olds) facing homelessness since 2019, compared to a national average of 3.5% for that age cohort.

Commonweal is particularly interested in testing housing models that support young people at risk of homelessness. This includes care-experienced children, young people struggling with mental health issues, and young people at transition points, such as those leaving custody or foster care.

There are numerous systemic and legal disadvantages young people at risk of homelessness face. For instance, the minimum and maximum rates of Universal Credit a person under 25 is entitled to are set at 80% of the rates for those over 25.

From a lower minimum wage until the age of 23 – coupled with high rents, a lack of available property, and a cap on the housing benefit element known as the Shared Accommodation Rate for under 35s – young people who do not have additional support (i.e., from parents or guardians) are disadvantaged in the housing market.

Key Statistics

Nearly 1 in 10 young people leaving care become homeless in the two years after they turn 18.

The number of young care leavers aged 18-20 who are homeless has increased by 54% over the last five years.

Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of young people experiencing homelessness report mental health problems.

In 2022/23, 135,800 16-24 year olds presented as experiencing
homelessness to their local authorities – 1 in 52 young people.

Commonweal approaches these challenges asking our guiding question: can outcomes be improved by supplying secure, stable housing, with the right services integrated? Commonweal has worked with partners to research and pilot models of supported housing for at-risk young people, including those at key transition points - such as former young carers leaving home.

One of the at-risk groups Commonweal is intent on supporting further is care-experienced children. In 2014, Crisis found that 25% of single people experiencing homelessness in the UK had been in care, with reports that almost 25% of the adult prison population have previously been in care.

As Homeless Link report in a Commonweal-commissioned study into youth at risk of homelessness, the size of this vulnerable cohort is increasing – in 2023, 12,200 young people in England aged out of the care system on their 18th birthday. This has increased by 2% since 2022, and by 7% since 2019. At the same time, risk of homelessness is increasing
within the cohort. The number of care leavers aged 18 – 20 facing homelessness in 2022/23 rose to 3,710 – a 9% increase from the previous year. This is a 33% rise since 2018, while the comparable figure in the general population rose 11%.