Youth Homelessness

 Siân Berry AM proposed, and Sem Moema AM seconded, the following motion:

 “This Assembly notes: 

• the growing issue of youth homelessness in the UK, with 135,800 young people approaching their council as homeless or at risk in 2022-23. 20,200 of these cases were in London alone – a ten per cent increase from the previous year. 
• these increasing numbers of young rough sleepers is happening despite ongoing best efforts and new initiatives from the Mayor of London, such as funding the successful Youth Hub run by Depaul UK and New Horizon Youth Centre and the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme which aims to support hundreds of rough sleepers into supported accommodation. 
• that almost half (48 per cent) of a national sample of people who had experienced rough sleeping first slept rough by the age of 25.
• that young people have been overlooked in national homelessness and housing strategies, despite the fact that young people’s experiences of homelessness are different from other age groups, so solutions need to be specific to them, and should be informed by young people’s lived experience. 
• the clear evidence for acting early and solving youth homelessness, plus the need for effective, cross-cutting interventions for young people at risk of homelessness to prevent entrenchment, as well as the opportunity cost of failing to harness the talents of a generation.
•  and welcomes the work of the #PlanForThe136k campaign, supported by a coalition of over 120 youth organisations, including several in London, and its call on Government to adopt a cross-departmental strategy to end youth homelessness.

This Assembly calls on the Mayor and Chair of the Assembly to support the #PlanForThe136k campaign and write to the Government urging it to take urgent action to adopt a cross-departmental strategy to end youth homelessness.”

Following debate and upon being put to the vote, the motion was agreed with 15 votes being cast in favour and no votes being cast against.