Young people sleeping rough: visibility and youth-specific provision
A Talk by Marike Van Harskamp and Ben Keegan
About this Talk
Young people are rarely captured in rough sleeping statistics yet under 25’s account for 40% of people living in supported accommodation. Why is this? Are we not seeing them sleeping rough because we don’t know who or where they are?
We need a better understanding of the scale, patterns and reasons of rough sleeping among young people to make sure they are not overlooked in homelessness strategies and street homeless services.
This session will explore and how different organisations in London and Sheffield have taken strategic and operational approaches to better respond to young people who are sleeping on the streets, and the importance of recognising that young people may sleep rough in ways that make them less visible and less likely to secure help.
Attendees with be provided with examples of how to implement a local response to young people, and how we can identify and engage with young people sleeping rough. Presentations from: - New Horizon Youth Centre on London local authorities, the Greater London Authority and youth homelessness organisations came together to identify the reasons and patterns of rough sleeping of 18-25 year olds, and the best ways of supporting them. - Roundabout on how to set up a Youth Rough Sleeping Service and the philosophy behind it.