Housing charity Shelter has launched a new campaign to stem rising homelessness among young people, such as care leavers, who are less inclined to seek advice from mainstream services, writes Simeon Brody.
A study out yesterday, which launches the charity’s first advice website for young people, finds that almost half of young people aged 16 to 25 do not know where to turn when they face housing problems.
The YouGov poll also reveals that a quarter of young people said their landlords had entered their property without permission. And 60 per cent of young renters wrongly think they can be legally evicted with just one month’s notice.
The website offers practical and legal advice on tenants’ rights and dealing with rogue landlords, and targeted information for care leavers and students. It will be accompanied by a three-year Know Your Rights campaign.
Shelter director Adam Sampson said: “From students to care leavers, many young people are at risk of suffering in bad housing or even becoming homeless simply because they don’t know their housing rights.”
More from www.shelter.org.uk/knowyourrights
