Research reports

Housing and homelessness

Lgbtq+ Youth Homelessness Report

akt / Albert Kennedy Trust / YouGov / Homeless Link · 2021

This report by akt examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people who have faced homelessness in the UK, including the abuse they experienced from family members and romantic partners, the impact of homelessness on their mental and physical health, and their awareness of and access to support services. Key findings include that 92% of respondents said homelessness had a negative impact on their mental health, only 13% felt supported by parents while homeless, and over half had faced discrimination when accessing services. The report makes recommendations to government, local authorities, and the housing sector to improve monitoring, prevention, and inclusive service delivery for LGBTQ+ young people facing homelessness.

SurveyInterviewUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

The LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness Report 2021

akt · 2021

This report examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people aged 16–25 who have experienced homelessness in the UK. It finds that most faced abuse from family members before becoming homeless, that 92% reported a negative impact on their mental health, and that over half experienced discrimination when accessing support services. Trans, disabled, and young people of colour were disproportionately affected across almost all measures. The report makes recommendations to government, local authorities, housing services, and the LGBTQ+ sector to improve awareness, inclusion, and specialist provision.

SurveyInterviewUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

Unaccounted: The scale of youth homelessness in the UK

Centrepoint · 2023

Centrepoint's Youth Homelessness Databank report estimates that 129,000 young people aged 16–24 in the UK presented to their local authority as homeless or at risk of homelessness in 2021/22, a 6% increase on the previous year. England had the highest rate of youth homelessness among the four nations, and for the sixth consecutive year recorded a rise in presentations. The report finds that nearly a third of young people who approached a council in England were not assessed for eligibility, and only 38% achieved a positive outcome. Rural local authorities fared significantly worse than urban ones on both assessment rates and positive outcomes.

Secondary analysisOtherUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

Out On The Streets: LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness in Wales

End Youth Homelessness Cymru / Llamau · 2019

This report examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Wales, finding that family rejection of sexual orientation or gender identity is the predominant pathway into homelessness. LGBTQ+ young people face heightened risks including mental ill health, substance misuse, survival sex, and violence compared to non-LGBTQ+ homeless peers, while also reporting largely negative experiences of statutory and third-sector support services. The report draws on peer-researcher-led interviews with LGBTQ+ young people, a survey of practitioners, and an expert working group to make 11 recommendations including LGBTQ+-specific supported housing, mandatory staff training, and improved data collection by local authorities.

Co-producedInterviewSurveyWales

Housing and homelessness

Hidden In Plain Sight: Understanding Youth Homelessness 2023-24

Centrepoint · 2025

This report analyses youth homelessness across the UK in the financial year 2023–24, estimating that approximately 118,134 young people (aged 16–24) faced homelessness — a 10% rise on the previous year. Using Freedom of Information data from English local authorities alongside published data from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, it finds that only 67% of young people who presented to their local authority were formally assessed. The report also explores how homelessness is experienced differently by gender and nationality, and highlights systemic challenges including local authority gatekeeping, underfunding, and inconsistent implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. Recommendations are made to central and local government to improve data collection, ring-fence funding, and extend protections for vulnerable groups.

Secondary analysisInterviewUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

Databank 2025: The State of Youth Homelessness in the UK

Centrepoint · 2026

This annual databank report maps the scale and nature of youth homelessness across the UK in 2024–25, finding that 123,934 young people faced homelessness — a 6% increase on the previous year, equivalent to 1 in every 60 young people. The report reveals that in England only 65% of young people who presented to local authorities as homeless received a housing assessment, leaving over 37,000 without any documented support despite a statutory duty to assess them. Dedicated chapters examine domestic abuse, LGBTQ+ young people, and refugees as distinct and disproportionately affected groups, with qualitative findings from focus groups contextualising the systemic barriers and gatekeeping practices young people face.

Secondary analysisFocus groupUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

A Year Like No Other: Youth Homelessness During the COVID Pandemic (Helpline call data analysis, unemployment data, frontline insights)

Centrepoint · 2021

This Centrepoint report reviews the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on homeless young people aged 16–25 across the UK over the year from March 2020. It draws on government homelessness and unemployment statistics, Centrepoint Helpline call data, and qualitative interviews with frontline staff to show that youth homelessness and rough sleeping remained serious problems despite significant government interventions. Key findings include a 33% rise in Helpline calls, a doubling of the youth claimant count, a sharp increase in demand for mental health support (up 40%), and a 276% rise in emergency food actions. The report concludes with recommendations for long-term youth-specific accommodation funding, improved access to homelessness services, and reforms to Universal Credit.

Secondary analysisInterviewUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

Failure to Act: The scale of youth homelessness in the UK (Databank 2022-23)

Centrepoint · 2023

Centrepoint's Youth Homelessness Databank estimates that 135,800 young people aged 16–24 across the UK presented to their local authority as homeless or at risk of homelessness in 2022/23, a 5% increase on the previous year and the sixth consecutive annual rise. In England, only 65% of presenting young people received an initial assessment and just 33% achieved a positive outcome — the lowest level recorded. The report highlights growing disparities between rural and urban areas, a 40% rise in evictions as a cause of homelessness, and the disproportionate impact of domestic abuse on young women.

Secondary analysisSurveyUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

Beyond a Number: the scale of youth homelessness in the UK

Centrepoint · 2022

This report from Centrepoint's Youth Homelessness Databank estimates that almost 122,000 young people aged 16–24 presented to their local authority as homeless or at risk of homelessness in 2020/21 — the fifth consecutive year-on-year increase. It finds that in England only 66% of those who presented received a full assessment (down from 79% in 2018/19), and just 37% achieved a positive outcome. The report also examines regional variation, the impact of COVID-19 on access to services, and the causes of youth homelessness, with family breakdown and domestic abuse being the leading drivers.

Secondary analysisInterviewUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

There's No Place Like Home: Uncovering LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness in the UK

akt / University of Kent / University of Bristol / University of Southampton · 2025

This landmark mixed-methods study is the first to examine LGBTQ+ youth homelessness in England using an intersectional lens. It finds that LGBTQ+ young people are more than twice as likely to experience hidden homelessness as non-LGBTQ+ peers, with trans and non-binary young people, those from racialised minorities, and those with mental health conditions facing even greater risk. The research reveals that government data significantly underestimates the scale of the problem, and that mainstream housing services largely lack the knowledge or prioritisation needed to support this group. The report calls for better data collection, targeted training for local authorities, LGBTQ+-specific supported accommodation, and changes to homelessness law and guidance.

Co-producedSurveyInterviewEngland

Housing and homelessness

Making homeless young people count: The scale of youth homelessness in the UK (Databank 2017-18)

Centrepoint · 2018

Centrepoint's 2017/18 Youth Homelessness Databank report estimates that approximately 103,000 young people aged 16–24 approached their local council for help because they were homeless or at risk in the UK. The analysis finds that over half of those who sought help left without any documented prevention, relief or statutory support. The biggest driver of youth homelessness was parents or others asking young people to leave, and rural youth homelessness was found to be a growing concern even as urban figures slightly declined.

Secondary analysisOtherUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

Don't Let Me Fall Through The Cracks: Homelessness Among Care Experienced Young People in Wales (EYHC Roadmap Full Report)

End Youth Homelessness Cymru / Llamau / NYAS Cymru · 2022

This review follows up on End Youth Homelessness Cymru's 2020 report on homelessness among care-experienced young people in Wales, assessing progress on the original recommendations nearly two years on. It finds that several recommendations have been partially implemented, including a review of the Care Leavers' Accommodation Framework and an extension of the Shared Accommodation Rate exemption to age 25, but significant gaps remain — particularly around mental health support, financial education, and unsuitable temporary accommodation. Care-experienced young people contributed their voices throughout, highlighting ongoing failures in housing, mental health services, and corporate parenting responsibilities.

Young people consultedInterviewFocus groupWales

Housing and homelessness

Don't Let Me Fall Through the Cracks: Care-Experienced Young People and Homelessness in Wales

Children in Wales / End Youth Homelessness Cymru · 2020

This report investigates the experiences of 27 care-experienced young people aged 17–24 who had been or were currently homeless across Wales. It finds that systemic failures across social services, housing, and health — including local connection rules, inconsistent care placements, inadequate mental health transitions, and inappropriate temporary accommodation — are driving care-experienced young people into homelessness. The report makes 13 recommendations to Welsh Government and local authorities, covering accommodation standards, multi-agency coordination, financial capability support, and reforms to Universal Credit exemptions for care leavers.

Co-producedInterviewMixed methodsWales

Housing and homelessness

On our side, improving services for young people experiencing homelessness

New Horizon Youth Centre / LSE · 2024

This report examines the experiences of young people aged 18–24 experiencing homelessness in London when they seek support from local authority housing services. Through interviews with 15 young people at New Horizon Youth Centre and housing leads from four London boroughs, the research finds that young people frequently feel disbelieved, disrespected, and face unrealistic demands for evidence, inconsistent support, and inappropriate accommodation placements. The report makes practical recommendations for local authorities, pan-London bodies, and national government to improve service standards, multi-agency collaboration, and housing supply for young people.

InterviewCase studyLondon

Mental health and wellbeing

Out of Sight? Vulnerable Young People: COVID-19 Response

National Youth Agency · 2020

This report from the National Youth Agency maps the scale and nature of vulnerabilities among young people in England that have been amplified or triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on data from the Children's Commissioner for England and a review of sector reports, it estimates that over one million young people have known needs exacerbated by the crisis, with a further two million facing emerging needs. The report identifies seven key vulnerability profiles — including poor mental health, homelessness, domestic abuse, and digital exclusion — and calls for government to classify youth services as an essential key service, deploy youth workers alongside schools and police, and invest in training and up-skilling to meet escalating need.

Secondary analysisOtherEngland

Results