Den 20 november bjöd Global Utmaning, tillsammans med Riksbyggen, in till ett rundabordssamtal om bostäder för jobb och unga. Detta var del 1 en serie av 4 samtal. Tanken med samtalen är att lyfta fram och diskutera ungas perspektiv samt identifiera strategiska frågor. Prof. Howard Williamson, European Youth Policies, University of South Wales, gav en europeisk utblick med avstamp i hans arbete.

1. Youth, housing and jobs
Some observations on
youth policy
Dr Howard Williamson
Professor of European Youth Policy
© University of South Wales

2. Personal roots and routes
‘Youth work’ practice 40+ years
Open club-based work, street-based work
Teaching and examining on professional training
courses
Youth research 30+ years
Offending, training and unemployment, enterprise,
substance misuse, homelessness, mental health and
learning disability, public care, labour market
recruitment
Youth policy 20+ years
Youth work, alcohol and substance misuse, youth
training, social inclusion, youth justice, curriculum
reform, volunteering, safeguarding and advocacy
Wales, UK, EU, Council of Europe, other countries
© University of South Wales

3. Two simple truths
For all of us, housing possibilities, costs, and
stability are contingent upon our
occupational/income possibilities, levels and
stability
So the increasingly precarious position of youth in
the labour market links directly to their precarity in
housing markets…………………..
© University of South Wales

4. Youth policy frameworks – the
Council of Europe model
Too much ‘youth policy’ is incoherent, contradictory and fragmented
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Legislation
Budgets
Structures for delivery
Policy domains
Cross-cutting issues and objectives
Underpinning drivers for improvement
Monitoring and evaluation
© University of South Wales

5. ‘Youth
policy’?
All countries have a youth policy – by intent,
default or neglect
Policies for, with and by young people
General policies with a specific youth dimension
General policies that may affect young people
© University of South Wales

6. Rationale for ‘youth policy’ – why?
Youth transitions
- longer, reversible, complex
Opportunities and risks
Vulnerabilities
Combating negatives
– drop-out, unemployment, homelessness,
drugs, crime
Promoting positives
– participation, autonomy, creativity, talent
From ‘benign neglect’ to ‘malign indifference’
Don’t “leave the kids alone”!
© University of South Wales

7. Interim Conclusion
The neglect of housing in youth policy
Ten years ago – Spain (average age of
leaving home was 32)
UK youth justice system – five
agencies, but NOT housing
Rarely part of ‘youth policy’
- exception of Ukraine
- my concerns about Armenia
Margaret Thatcher 1986 – I see no reasons why the government should do anything about
housing for young people; they already have homes, that is the homes of their parents……
© University of South Wales