Young people need strategy to prevent homelessness

Preventing young people from becoming homeless should not be
separate from meeting their other social care needs, the head of a
youth homelessness charity has urged.

Speaking at a conference on social inclusion organised by the
Safe in the City charity, its director Julie Fawcett said:
“Prevention isn’t one thing, one type of project somehow distinct
from other forms of social care. It is lots of things joined
together operating smoothly and getting to people before they reach
a state of crisis, not after.”

She added that social workers, teachers, housing officers, and
landlords could all play their part in helping spot people at risk
of becoming homelessness.

Rough Sleepers Unit director Louise Casey launched Preventing
Tomorrow’s Rough Sleepers, co-written by Safe in the City, at the
conference.

She said: “We are turning our attention towards identifying
practical and realistic solutions that local authorities and other
key partners can use. The handbook does not give all the answers,
but does provide a toolkit of preventive solutions.”

n Preventing Tomorrow’s Rough Sleepers from 0870 1226 236