Research warns of “tragic waste of young lives” lost to homelessness

Findings released as Crisis at Christmas opens its doors to an expected 4,000 homeless guests

Crisis has warned of a “tragic waste of young lives”, as new research reveals that half of all homeless people first become homeless aged under-21, with the majority going through the experience again and again because they don’t get the help they need.

The research, conducted for Crisis by Cardiff University, provides the first ever profile of single homeless people across England, Wales and Scotland, showing the reasons people first become homeless and the horrific consequences for their lives. It warns that people who become homeless at a young age often face a vicious cycle that leaves them vulnerable to violence, substance abuse and problems with mental and physical health.

As Crisis at Christmas opens across London, Edinburgh and Newcastle (see notes for media opportunities), the charity is calling for political action so that all homeless people can get the help they need, and urges the public to sign its No One Turned Away petition – already at 21k signatures.

Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “Homelessness is a horrifying experience for anyone, but it is especially damaging for young people, who often become homeless again and again because they can’t get the help they need. This is a tragic waste of young lives. We need to make sure people can get help at an early stage.

“Everyone deserves a second chance. Yet the sad reality is that homeless people who ask their councils for help are being turned away to sleep on the streets. That’s why Crisis is calling on party leaders to review the support given to single homeless people under the law. In this day and age, no one should face the horrors of the streets.”

Key findings

The independent study draws on interviews with 480 single homeless people from across England, Wales and Scotland. It finds: 

• On average people first become homeless at just 22, with half (48%) aged under- 21 and one third (34%) aged under-18 when they first become homeless. Two thirds of those who become homeless when under-16 go on to face five or more episodes. 
  
  Quote: “Dad got progressively worse and then was put into institutions and I was sort of, you know, left to my own devices age 14 onwards. It was at that point that I got involved with drugs and became very quickly an addict.” (Simon)
  
  
• 60% of homeless people first become homeless after a household dispute, a third of which are violent.
  
  Quote: “When I was 16 my parents couldn’t live with me anymore. I left because of a family breakdown. My dad drank and there were arguments constantly.” (Jean)
  
  
• Nearly one in four homeless people have experienced violence or abuse from family or friends, while one in five have experienced violence or abuse from a partner.
  
  
• 61% of homeless women have experienced violence or abuse from a partner.
  
  Quote: “I got into a relationship with a guy and it all went downhill and unfortunately he ended up quite abusive, and I ended up not being able to go to work because I’d be looking a state, you know, looking horrible…” 
  
  
• Nearly half of all homeless people have had problems with mental health.
  
  Quote: “I started off sleeping on the streets there until eventually I got myself into a hostel. I was used to it but… even to this day, I ended up getting really depressed through it. Because it’s not something that you want to do, it’s not a happy thing to happen.” (Jacob)
• Where people had recently gone to their council for help, nearly two thirds received either no advice, only general advice or were referred elsewhere.
  
  Quote: The council basically want nothing to do with me. I gave them a letter from my doctor about my mental health; I gave them everything and they basically said that there’s nothing that they can do (Chris)
  
  
• 10% of homeless people have never had a permanent home in their adult life.

Report author, Dr Peter Mackie said: “This report is the first since devolution to reveal the real differences in people's experiences of homelessness and of seeking help. Whilst the assistance in Scotland is clearly better than anywhere else, it is worrying that across Great Britain we are failing to assist the vast majority of single people who become homeless. If we want to prevent problems from growing for these people and of course for wider society, we must make assistance available to all homeless people.”

The charity’s Christmas centres are run by an army of more than 9,000 volunteers. As well as warmth, companionship and three hot meals a day, guests receive healthcare and specialist advice on housing, work and benefits and are encouraged to take up the life-changing opportunities on offer at Crisis in centres across the country in the New Year ahead.

Jon Sparkes continued: “Christmas should be a time for family and friends, for warmth and celebration, yet for homeless people it can be one of the hardest periods of the year - a cold, lonely time to be suffered rather than enjoyed. That’s why, every year, Crisis at Christmas opens its doors to thousands of homeless people, offering warmth, shelter, food and companionship, as well as access to vital services.

“None of this would be possible without the generosity and compassion of thousands of individuals, organisations and companies, who give their time, funds and goods to make Christmas happen for some of society’s most vulnerable people.”

ENDS

For further information call 020 7426 3853 or email thomas.phillips@crisis.org.uk. For out of hours media enquiries please call: 07973 372587

Notes to editors
 

1. Broadcasters, journalists and photographers are invited to meet homeless guests, volunteers and Crisis spokespeople at the opening of Crisis at Christmas 2014, from 5am on TUESDAY 23 DECEMBER. 

2. The report surveyed a representative sample of 480 single homeless people across 16 local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland. It also draws on telephone interviews with a further 14 key informants and in-depth interviews with 30 single homeless people. 

3. Crisis’s No One turned Away campaign is calling on all three main party leaders to make a manifesto commitment to review the support given to single homeless people under the law. More details about the campaign and the petition launched in support of it can be found at: crisis.org.uk/NoOneTurnedAway 

4. Crisis recently published new undercover research, Turned Away, showing how homeless people seeking help from their councils are being turned away to sleep on the streets. We engaged ‘mystery shoppers’ with personal experience of homelessness to test the services of eight local councils. The findings provide a powerful insight into the experiences of homeless people seeking help across England.