The UK continues to experience a severe housing crisis, driven by rising prices, increasing mortgage rates and a fundamental lack of housing supply.

Research identified a need for 145,000 new affordable homes each year in England till 2031. In 2023/24, just 63,000 were delivered.

The shortage in England has contributed to a significant rise in homelessness. As of December 2024, around 354,000 individuals were recorded as homeless.

The challenge is particularly acute in London, where the number of homeless individuals rose by 12% in a year, around 187,000 people.

Youth homelessness remains a growing concern. Between April 2023 and March 2024, more than 107,000 young people aged 16-24 approached their local authorities as homeless or at risk.

The main causes of youth homelessness include family or friends no longer being willing or able to accommodate (50%), domestic abuse (10%), and the end of assured shorthold tenancies (6%).

For us, family conflict is a majority cause, with many young people experiencing trauma and abuse in a post Covid-19 environment.

We house 395 young people every night, but at any one time we are unable to help around 60 other young people.