The lack of coherent national data on homelessness makes measuring the true scale of youth homelessness a real challenge. This in turn presents a challenge for those trying to end homelessness and for government to ensure effective allocation of funding so that young people receive the support they need. Most data currently collected by governments across the UK relate to the statutory homeless; those found eligible for help under the Main Homelessness Duty. However, this provides only a limited picture of the scale of homelessness. Centrepoint commissioned CCHPR to carry out this research to produce an up-to-date estimate of the number of young people aged 16 to 24 experiencing homelessness during the course of a year. Estimating the scale of youth homelessness in the UK. The work drew on a range of secondary data sources, and also on a series of local case studies and also on a survey exploring young people’s experiences of ‘sofa surfing’ and rough sleeping.
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