Once again, Artists Open Houses Festival is supporting Sussex Nightstop as its charity partner and we’re inviting people to take a stand against the worrying increase in youth homelessness, by donating just £1.
Buoyed by the unconventional, welcoming approach of the festival, we took inspiration from the infamous Sex Pistols album [recorded in 1977, when politicians were finalising the Housing Bill that sought to address homelessness] and we’ve made our own version of this classic cover, to share the Sussex Nightstop story and convey the impact we have on young people at a crucial point in their lives.
The growing extent of youth homelessness
135,800 young people experiencing homelessness approached their local council to ask for help in 2022-3. [Source: Centrepoint]
Back in 1977 there was no published data on homelessness, but a transcript from Hansards from a parliamentary debate on the Housing Bill states that 52,570 people experiencing homelessness approached their council for help in 1976. We don’t know how many of these were aged 16-24 but when detailed government data collection started in 2018, young people represented 21%, so that gives us a guestimate of 11,040 young people homeless in 1977.
So how did we get from 11,040 to 135,800? That’s an increase of 1,130%
An environment stacked against young people
Young people enjoy a particular mix of challenges when it comes to a decent roof over their heads, including:
- Housing supply and affordability
- No guarantor makes it unfeasible to secure a rental tenancy
- Cost of living increases vs lower pay and minimum wage jobs
- Welfare support offered and provided (austerity)
- Eligibility for housing assistance – only 33% meet the ‘in priority need’ definition
The tip of the iceberg
135,800 young people experiencing homelessness and asking their Local Authority for help is a lot. But according to Centrepoint, 48% of young people don’t approach their Local Authority for help, or face barriers doing so.
This means there could be a total of 261,153 young people experiencing homelessness, or on the brink of it.
So, where’s the help?
Sussex Nightstop is a service for all young people in Brighton & Hove, providing immediate help to bridge the gap between homelessness and a new home. Through our volunteer network of vetted and trained hosts, we offer safe accommodation – a vital safety net – in three ways:
So, what can you do?
- To give a quid at Christmas or make a larger donation, head over to our Local giving page, where you can add Giftaid and increase the impact of your donation.
- Volunteer with us as a host or a community champion – we’ll work around your availability
- Support us through your business and/or workplace
- Please follow us on social media and share our posts, so we can reach more people
https://www.instagram.com/sussexnightstop/
https://www.facebook.com/TeamNightstop
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sussex-nightstop/
You can see the real picture on homelessness, including the ‘hidden homeless’ on our ‘about us’ page.
Great sources of information if you want to read more:
Centrepoint – Failure to Act: The Scale of Youth Homelessness in the UK
New Horizon Youth Centre and London School of Economics – On Our Side: Improving Services for Young People Experiencing Homelessness
Crisis – Public policy and homelessness | The Plan To End Homelessness