Thousands of young people face homelessness every year. Here’s one way you can help

Youth homelessness is on the rise.

Last year, 136,000 young people in the UK approached their local authority because they were homeless or facing homelessness. That’s one young person every four minutes.

Some end up rough sleeping. On a single night in autumn 2023, an estimated 3,898 people (of all ages) were counted as sleeping rough across England – a figure that has doubled over the past decade.

In the face of such grim statistics, it’s easy to feel hopeless – but there are ways to help. Big Issue has collated some of them here. And if you’re free on Thursday (7 November) evening, there’s still time to sign up for Sleep Out.

The annual fundraising event – hosted by EveryYouth, a charity for 16-25-year-olds facing homelessness – challenges people to give up their bed and sleep outside for one night.

The event doesn’t aim to “replicate homelessness”, the charity explains – but to give participants a genuine insight into the reality faced by many young people every year. It’s also an appeal; thus far, fundraisers have raised £36,100 to help vulnerable young people access mental health support, enter meaningful employment and secure a home of their own.

This year, comedian Joshua Bethania is taking part. Events like Sleep Out are important, he says, because they help challenge misperceptions around the reality of homelessness.

“[Homeless people] are not lazy. A lot of people tend to say like, ‘Oh, you can figure it out. If you just work a bit harder, you’ll find something,’” he told the Big Issue.

“But people face genuine challenges. Figuring out ‘what are the next steps, what are the set of documents I need, how do I just make basic money’. Some of them are just thinking of survival, just day-to-day. There often aren’t enough resources in place to help them.”

Bethania’s church runs a weekly dinner for homeless people. Treating attendees with “dignity and respect” is very important, he adds – and the conversations that ensue can be “eye opening”.

“We hear their experiences, how they’ve ended up there,” the comedian says. “For example [one man], he knew so much about the world, he knew so much about technology. He knew so much about many things, but still he was homeless. 

“A lot of people think that [homelessness] is down to a lack of education… but it’s just circumstances that mean people end up in that situation.”

Rough sleeping is the most visible form of homelessness, but the term also includes people who are sofa-surfing or living in temporary accommodation.

Some 358,370 households contacted their local authority for support after being threatened with homelessness or losing their home in 2023-24, the latest official statistics show, up more than 10% in a year.

In London alone, there are 90,000 children currently housed in temporary accommodation. The health consequences can be severe. A total of 55 minors have died while living in temporary accommodation since 2019.

Sleep Out shows solidarity with young people in difficult housing situations, says theatre producer David Pugh. The award-winning theatre-maker took part in the event last year, an experience he described as “eye-opening”.

“Sleeping outside, exposed to the elements and the discomfort of the hard ground, gave me a glimpse into the harsh realities that homeless individuals endure daily,” he said.

“The following day, I felt physically exhausted and mentally drained, which underscored just how difficult it must be to function without the stability and security of a home.

“This experience fueled my determination to contribute more actively to efforts aimed at combating homelessness. If you want to show your support for vulnerable young people then Sleep Out is a fantastic opportunity to do so.”

The event will take place at the Museum of the Home in East London. You can find more details here.

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