Jack’s story isn’t an uncommon one. When England’s rugby team runs out in front of around 80,000 people at Twickenham this month, we know the same number of young people (at a very conservative estimate) will, that evening, be homeless in the UK. Every year 150,000 young people seek support from local authorities but, according to several homelessness charities, many are turned away without any support.
Speaking to Premier Youth and Children’s Work, Ollie Batchelor, from the homelessness charity Changing Lives said that while the number is huge it’s hard to get an exact figure: “Partly because some people are literally homeless and sleep rough, but there’s a great deal of homelessness which is hidden - people who sleep on sofas, stay at friends’ houses then move on; it’s really difficult to get an exact picture.”
With around 50,000 churches in the UK, it works out at almost three homeless young people seeking help per church. But how many churches are doing anything to reach out to young people struggling with this issue?
Rob Rees from the End Youth Homelessness campaign told YCW he doesn’t think it’s a case of people not caring: “A lot of people are engaging because they realise they themselves are just a couple of pay cheques away from that situation. We simply don’t understand the scale of the problem. Once we can get that information together, that’s when people will realise the scale of the crisis.”
Cathy Corcoran from the Cardinal Hume Centre, an organisation helping young people overcome poverty and homelessness in London told YCW that people are starting to realise just how big of an issue this really is. “I think we are beginning to understand as there is more visibility on our streets and coverage in the media,” she said. “What many people may not understand though is what causes young people to become homeless. The biggest causes for homelessness among young people from the UK are abuse and family breakdown, and fleeing war and poverty for those coming here from overseas.”
Around six in ten young people who come into contact with the charity Centrepoint say they had to leave home because of arguments, relationship breakdown or being told to leave. A quarter have been in the care system and one in six have been involved in gang crime.
According to the Youth Homeless Databank, some of the main reasons for a young person ending up homeless are: parents no longer willing or able to accommodate; violence in the home; nonviolent breakdown of relationship with partner.
While the reasons may be varied, those affected often fall into the same place of not knowing where to turn. It’s at this point where help is needed – through friends, the local authority or specialist organisations. But only a small number are getting that help.
One of the main reasons people give for not doing anything is not knowing what to do. Cathy Corcoran told YCW that educating yourself on the issue is a good place to start. She said: “Don’t be silent about it, get to know your facts, talk to others, keep on asking ‘why’ and getting in touch with both your local councillors as well as your MP and tell them you care and you want something positive to be done about it - now.”
The opportunity to make a difference in this field is huge. You may not be able to influence government policy but Rob Rees says it’s the little things which can have a big impact on the lives of those struggling. “A lot of these young people have fundamentally been let down by their parents or people who are supposed to be in a position of care,” he said. “Even when they’re with a charity or with their key worker, ultimately these people are paid to help them so the mental impact of having someone, completely off their own back, investing in them and showing commitment to them is phenomenal.”
Things churches may (or should) be able to offer include time, a listening ear and an urgency to do whatever it takes to change the life of a young person. Jack’s story isn’t an isolated one but it is one of the few which has a (relatively) positive resolution. And there lies the challenge. Wouldn’t it be great if the Church started to tell more stories like Jack’s and we saw more lives changed for the better?
This month, charity Centrepoint launched the first ever homeless helpline for young people to offer support to those in need of help. Those needing advice can contact 0808 800 0616.
