You are here: Home » Help and advice » Connexions Nottinghamshire » Your SHOUT! » The Vent - Your Zone » Issues » No place at home
No place at home
Article by Andrew Barranger-Clark
The Big Issue's 2004 Audit revealed that 33% of its vendors were homeless before the age of 20.
When asked the question ‘What is Homelessness?’ many people imagine sleeping alone on the streets, with little food and no shelter and, indeed, this is a painful truth that many young people experience everyday.
However, not all homeless young people fit the typical stereotype. They may live rough, they may crash at a friend’s house for most of the week, or stay temporarily with relatives. In the extreme they stay in homeless shelters, in cars or in abandoned buildings. This is called the Hidden Homeless. Even if you live at home you may be legally classed as homeless if you suffer abuse or mistreatment.
These young people, despite having security and a place to sleep face a great deal of issues that are also faced by the rest of the homeless population. These include:
* There may not be adequate food
* It is difficult to stay clean healthy and warm
* There is a lack of facilities
* The residence that the young person is staying in may not be safe and secure and may easily become a victim of crime
* Homeless young people may have difficulty attending school or work, leading to difficulties in securing future employment.
It is clear that those who are homeless have complex and varied needs, and need to be helped on a case by case basis.
So how do young people end up homeless? Well, there is no easy answer, there are an incredibly wide range of factors that lead to young people becoming homeless. They could include:
* Unemployment
* Drug and alcohol problems
* Mental health problems
* Young offenders struggling to get work
* Young people leaving care
* Low self-esteem.
What can Connexions do?
There are a wide range of resources available to homeless people of all ages. If you’re aged 13 to 19 and you or anyone you know needs help finding out about accessing local services then pop in and ask for assistance from the staff at your local Connexions centre. Connexions Personal Advisers will be happy to help you explore your options.
For information about housing, homelessness and where to get help
The Big Issue's 2004 Audit revealed that 33% of its vendors were homeless before the age of 20.
When asked the question ‘What is Homelessness?’ many people imagine sleeping alone on the streets, with little food and no shelter and, indeed, this is a painful truth that many young people experience everyday.
However, not all homeless young people fit the typical stereotype. They may live rough, they may crash at a friend’s house for most of the week, or stay temporarily with relatives. In the extreme they stay in homeless shelters, in cars or in abandoned buildings. This is called the Hidden Homeless. Even if you live at home you may be legally classed as homeless if you suffer abuse or mistreatment.
These young people, despite having security and a place to sleep face a great deal of issues that are also faced by the rest of the homeless population. These include:
* There may not be adequate food
* It is difficult to stay clean healthy and warm
* There is a lack of facilities
* The residence that the young person is staying in may not be safe and secure and may easily become a victim of crime
* Homeless young people may have difficulty attending school or work, leading to difficulties in securing future employment.
It is clear that those who are homeless have complex and varied needs, and need to be helped on a case by case basis.
So how do young people end up homeless? Well, there is no easy answer, there are an incredibly wide range of factors that lead to young people becoming homeless. They could include:
* Unemployment
* Drug and alcohol problems
* Mental health problems
* Young offenders struggling to get work
* Young people leaving care
* Low self-esteem.
What can Connexions do?
There are a wide range of resources available to homeless people of all ages. If you’re aged 13 to 19 and you or anyone you know needs help finding out about accessing local services then pop in and ask for assistance from the staff at your local Connexions centre. Connexions Personal Advisers will be happy to help you explore your options.
For information about housing, homelessness and where to get help
