Youth Homelessness

 

Numbers of Young People Homeless in Wales

Due to the nature of many young people’s experiences of homelessness, which may include them sofa-surfing with friends, or sleeping in cars, or sheds, accurately quantifying the number of people who experience homelessness as a child or young adult is difficult. Statutory data shared by Welsh Government relies on young people presenting to their local authority for help, which we know that some young people don’t do, so it may be that official statistics are an undercount. This data also fails to capture some crucial information, such as the numbers of LGBTQ+ young people who present as at risk of homelessness.

The most recent full year figures available (2018-19) show that there were 7,698 presentations by young people (aged 16-25) who felt they were at risk of homelessness.

732 of these were presentations by children aged 16 or 17 (data is not presented for children younger than this). Of these, 3,507 are described as having been in a situation in which they were legally owed a duty and seen their risk of homelessness prevented or relieved.

 
 
 
 

Defining Youth Homelessness

International research and insights from frontline services show that young people experiencing homelessness often take different pathways into homelessness and have distinct needs from older people, which require specific youth-oriented responses. Following extensive consultation with agencies across Europe, and in collaboration with End Youth Homelessness Cymru, FEANTSA, the European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless, have defined youth homelessness as:

“Youth homelessness occurs where an individual between the age of 13 and 26 is experiencing rooflessness or houselessness or is living in insecure or inadequate housing without a parent, family member or other legal guardian”.

- FEANTSA

There is, at present, no definition of youth homelessness in Welsh legislation. As such, End Youth Homelessness Cymru will work to the FEANTSA definition, until such a time as a Welsh definition is developed.