Youth Homelessness

Thank you to everyone who contacted me about youth homelessness, and the upcoming Centrepoint event in Parliament, which I have every intention of attending. Supported housing plays an essential role in helping some of the most vulnerable members of our society to live as independently as possible. I fully recognise the importance of ensuring that the social security system properly reflects the additional costs and service charges associated with this type of accommodation.

Homelessness levels are appallingly high and too many families are living in temporary accommodation. I recognise that homelessness can have a devastating impact on those involved. I am determined that we must address this issue and deliver long term solutions. I have met with Coatham House previously, a brilliant charity that supports young people who have experienced homelessness, or at risk of homelessness, and it was really valuable to learn about just how many young people in Redcar are struggling.

I am pleased that our Government is looking at these issues carefully and is developing a new cross-government strategy. I support the approach being taken which seeks to move away from a system focused on crisis response, to taking a holistic approach to preventing homelessness in the first place. I welcome that our Government has increased funding for homelessness services by £233 million, bringing the total to nearly £1 billion. The 2025 Spending Review protected that level of investment until 2028-29 and provided £100 million of additional funding for services from the transformation fund.

As part of this investment, the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant is providing more than £185 million to local authorities across England in 2025/26. The grant gives local authorities the flexibility to determine the most suitable rough sleeping services for their areas, which includes funding accommodation that is required to meet local need.

Alongside this, I know that our Government is working to review Universal Credit. This will ensure the benefit does what it is supposed to do: make work pay and tackle poverty. Good work can significantly reduce the risk of people falling into poverty, and this forms the foundation of our Government’s approach to delivering lasting change. As well as the financial advantages of earning a salary, working can provide a sense of purpose, improved wellbeing, and greater independence.

Action is also being taken to tackle the root causes of homelessness. This includes delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, taking a cross-government approach to deliver long-term solutions, and abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions via the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. We are also taking steps to prevent the devastating impacts drugs and drug deaths can have on the homeless community, so we are expanding access to naloxone, a life saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses and give people a second chance at life. This will be available through homeless services, outreach teams and public emergency settings, and is backed by £3.4 billion for drug and alcohol treatment services.