Thread by @Dale_TG04

Spent this morning working with @centrepointuk to speak with Journalists about the many misconceptions the media and general public tend to have in regards to Youth Homelessness

The most common misconception is that people often assume that because you were homeless you were Rough sleeping (sleeping in the street)

When in actual fact Homelessness appears in many forms, Rough sleeping is just the most extreme and visible case

A large majority of young people who experience homelessness are 'Hidden' which includes: Sofa surfing (moving between multiple temporary locations, often friends and families houses)...

Many young people who are homeless also stay in Hostels or Foyers, which are both short-term interim housing, as well as Squat or stay in shelters
You can find out more about this on:
bigissue.com/latest/hidden-…

The government and sometimes the media's focus on Rough sleeping does a huge disservice to the 300,000 people who experience homelessness every year, with 103,000 being at risk young people (16-25 years old)

Another huge misconception is that homelessness is the fault of the young person and they are solely to blame...

When in actual fact the causes of homeless can be due to breakdowns within the family, mental or physical health issues, being excluded from school, leaving care as well those that are refugees

Support for those who are at risk of being homeless or who are already homeless is severely lacking, local authorities and support services tend to do very little in helping the young person's situation

In many cases homeless could have been prevented if these services intervened sooner, but far too often is it left to the worse case scenario before they pick up slack and help

From my own personal experience back in 2014 I had notified the local council and other services about my potential homelesness 6 months in advance of it actual happening...

In this time they barely even completed the basic checks to see what my living arrangements were at the time, let alone looking for potential solutions for the issue

This is result of austerity measures and cuts to funding of social services and local councils which has allowed so many vunerable and in need people to slip through the net

It wasn't until I took the initiative and literally took my clothes in black bag to the local council demanding to be housed, that I was taken seriously and put in a @centrepointuk hostel that same day
Guardian article about my experience of homelessness:
theguardian.com/education/2017…

If you are or know a young person (16 - 25 years old) at risk of being homeless or who is homeless and needs support then use the @centrepointuk Helpline: [phone]
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