A research perspective on causes and triggers of youth homelessness: what lessons for policy makers

A research perspective on causes and triggers of youth homelessness: what lessons for policy makers?
Deborah Quilgars,
Centre for Housing Policy, University of York, England
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

Transitions to adulthood
‘Youth homelessness can be conceptualised as the outcome of a process of failed transitions’ (Avramov, 1998, p106)
Transition from childhood to adulthood is complex
Housing transition affected by/ impact on other transitions (school-to-work, domestic)
Increasingly extended transitions
Not a linear transition (particularly important to be able to return to parental home)
Long process, young people need support over time

Pathways into homelessness
Some young people more at risk of faltered or interrupted transitions – which may include youth homelessness
Research suggests a distinct ‘youth’ pathway into homelessness – when young people are forced to leave ‘home’ at early age/ stage (MacKenzie and Chamberlain, 2003):
Conflict in parental home
Leaving ‘care’ – child care systems pulling back at age 16 or 18 or 21
Young migrants/ unaccompanied asylum seekers

Causes/ triggers
Disrupted/ traumatic childhoods, rarely just one ‘trigger’
Review of studies indicates that young people are likely to have
experienced family disruption (separation/ divorce and/or the arrival of a step-parent)
experienced difficult relationships with parents
witnessed or experienced violence
high levels of mental health problems
lived in a family that experienced financial difficulties
run away from home (often early age and more than once)
spent time in care
been involved in crime or anti-social behaviour
had their education severely disrupted

: Understanding causation
Most research concentrated on ‘triggers’/ family and personal backgrounds
Structural/ institutional factors implicated in individual outcomes – less research on wider factors affecting homelessness:
socio-economic situation;
welfare (and institutional) systems;
cultural assumptions/ role of family in society
Welfare systems affect homelessness (Stephens et al, 2010); CSEHYP project highlighted differences between UK/ NL and PT/ CZ

: Impact of wider factors on leaving home
Income poverty
Family poverty/ financial pressures on family as child becomes young adult
Housing deprivation
Negative area effects
Limited opportunities
Discrimination for some groups
Lack of supports to families at risk
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

Ability to access housing on leaving
Poor access to independent housing
Landlords (social and private) will not usually accept tenancies from young people
Lack of support (unlike students)
Poorly positioned in labour markets, cannot secure sufficient income to meet housing costs
Welfare payments to meet housing costs are either restricted or not provided for young people (assuming that young people will stay at home until mid 20s)

Causation in summary…
Never just one single cause
Young people’s needs, characteristics and experiences (element of serendipity (Gaetz, 2013))
Poor family and peer supports/ social capital
Economic marginalisation and poorer life chances than the general population
All in context of structural barriers to housing, work and welfare systems
Result is ‘chaotic’ housing pathways (Ford et al, 2002)

What else do we know?
High levels of hidden homelessness – young people often ‘exhaust’ contacts over time
Young people may have asked for help/ approached agencies before homeless
Homelessness is detrimental to health and well- being
 Mainstream homelessness services may not be desirable or safe
The longer that a young person is homeless, the harder it is to exit homelessness (Mayock et al, 2012)

Implications for policy/practice 1
Intervene early to reduce risks, supporting families/ young people at risk (where safe)
Homelessness sector can undertake targeted work
But also need for government level programmes
…and changes to welfare systems
Clear association with child care services
Policy change/ improvements needed in most countries
Prevention services can be effective (at point facing homelessness)
Eg. family mediation; financial assistance
Emergency services – quick response needed, ensure that people do not get stuck in provision

Specialised supportive environments
For the very young/ those not lived independently
Foyer(-type) models offering help with education and employment/ support networks etc
More generally, specialist ‘integrated’ services to address all aspects of young person’s life
Creation of affordable housing pathways – access to social housing and private rented sector
Housing First for some people, supported by mobile workers

Different policies for different young people? – young families, migrants, young people in mid- late twenties
Address poverty and social exclusion:
Access to education, training and work
Welfare benefits to support interrupted transitions
Campaigning against poverty, and for better deal for young people – not easy in current context but crucial given young people are usually hardest hit in economic downturn

Thank you for listening
Deborah.quilgars@york.ac.uk
Centre for Housing Policy
www.york.ac.uk/chp
European Observatory on Homelessness
www.feantsaresearch.org/

A research perspective on causes and triggers of youth homelessness: what lessons for policy makers

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A research perspective on causes and triggers of youth homelessness: what lessons for policy makers