Safe Homes For Young Adults Under Threat

Shrinking council housing, benefit cuts and rising private rents have made it more difficult for disadvantaged young people to find somewhere to live. Between 2008 and 2013, the proportion of 16- to 24-year-old renters in social housing managed by councils or housing associations dropped by 23% – the greatest drop of any measured age group. And the average time youths spent in homeless accommodation nearly doubled, to 16 months last year. Many single young people are shut out of social housing because they do not qualify as “priority homeless” so they turn to the private rented sector, where the prohibitive cost of an upfront deposit and the insecure nature of their tenancy are major obstacles. Now housing organisations are guiding young adults into safe and affordable rooms and shared tenancies. Read more on Welfare Weekly.