We have partnered with two Brighton and Hove youth homelessness charities to share insights from new research into the issue within the city at an event this week. This comes amid a national increase in youth homelessness by 10% in the last year.
Together with Sussex Nightstop and The Clocktower Sanctuary, we will now utilise the findings from the youth-led blueprint project, Here for You, and represent young people’s views as Brighton and Hove City Council develops its rough sleepers and homelessness strategy.
As three charity partners, we launched the findings of the research at an event at The Projects, Nile Street, on Wednesday 25 June. The insight report, funded by IMEX and supported by Sussex Community Foundation, was driven by the need to ensure young people experiencing homelessness don’t fall through the gaps. Although there is national data about homelessness, this youth-led research looked solely at Brighton and Hove.
Our Youth Advice Centre in the city is part of our Youth and Support Service, which is headed up by Thom Palser. “The Here for You research project, which focused specifically on young people, was needed to help understand young people’s needs when they access support in the city,” he said.
“We’re calling for a youth chapter to be included within BHCC’s rough sleepers and homelessness strategy and to consider the 16-25 age group as a cohort with specific needs and to understand that age can be a vulnerability too.
“Our voluntary sector organisations are often the first port of call for young people facing homelessness and we need to build the capacity of these frontline services and to have a consistent approach and understanding.”
Sussex Nightstop CEO Alison Marino said: “The importance of a young person’s first encounter with support services can’t be overstated. A total of 48% of those experiencing homelessness in later life had their first time rough sleeping before the age of 25. Prevention at an early stage is crucial if the long-term and wide-ranging impacts of homelessness are to be avoided and young people given every opportunity to fulfil their potential.”
She said that until early 2024, there had not been a debate in parliament about homelessness in over 30 years and the design of services typically considered people experiencing homelessness to be one homogenous group, despite the fact that the needs of young people were distinctly different.
The Clock Tower Sanctuary CEO Fabia Bates said: “Young people often don’t present at services asking for help until they are at crisis point. They also don’t recognise themselves as homeless if they are, for example, sofa surfing, and they can be unaware of their rights. Through this research, they told us they want to know what support and advice is available to them at which service – where do they go to find out where to get a shower, where can they find somewhere to sleep tonight.
“They said the most important thing was being met with kind and friendly words.
“When a young person reaches out, we don’t want them to turn around and walk out again.”
Recommendations from the report included focusing on:
- communications – with inclusivity, clarity of service offer and an encouraging and supportive approach at the fore
- impact and insight – maximising the engagement of young people in the ongoing co-production of services through joined up and representative youth voice initiatives.
The report puts the experiences of young people front and centre and is clear that their ongoing involvement is fundamental to future improvements.
We concluded the launch by saying the responsibility of youth homelessness is a shared one. The report is a call to action for a city-wide response, with recommendations that enable everyone to play a part in ensuring young people know that their city is here for them.
