On Our Side: Improving services for young people experiencing homelessness

Ellie Benton, Laura Lane and Ruby Russell

Published 11 April 2024

Estimates suggest that almost half of all young people experiencing homelessness do not contact their local authority, or face barriers in doing so. And only 38% of those who do get a positive outcome. In the autumn of 2023, New Horizon Youth Centre and LSE collaborated on a piece of research exploring young people’s experiences of engaging with local authority homelessness services in London. We spoke with young people with experience of homelessness, housing leads from local authorities, a spokesperson from a Government department, voluntary sector and partnership organisations. This report details the experiences of young people when accessing local authority homeless services, the barriers they face, and the specific support they need. It provides recommendations for local authorities, third sector organisations, and national government on how to better respond to the needs of young people.