Taking Action on Youth Housing Crisis

Young people frequently find themselves homeless, sleeping rough or on friends' floors, in their search for a decent place to live. Leeds Tenants Federation has drawn together supported housing providers and advice centres to set up the new Leeds Youth Housing Forum to improve services for young people.

The setting up of the new forum follows intensive research by Leeds Tenants Federation into young people's housing needs. We carried out in-depth interviews with 50 young people and the results revealed a crisis of housing for youth in the city.

All the young people we talked to had been through a major housing crisis. Periods of homelessness are very common for young people just starting out. Most have slept rough and on friends floors.

Key results indicate:

• 44% had experienced family breakdown


• 68% revealed they had at some point been forced to leave home and sleep rough or stay with friends or family


• 56% had accessed the Council's Housing Options Service


• 50% of those found it difficult to get hold of the right person to talk to, 39% were dissatisfied with the service they received while 43% did find the staff helpful.

Young people in Leeds demonstrate a strong sense of loyalty to the city, but this is coupled wiht concern for the lack of decent affordable homes. Young people's experience leaves them with little confidence of a secure future.