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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| New moves to help young homeless | New moves to help young homeless |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A £164m package for young homeless people in England, which will provide training and emotional support, is to be unveiled by the government. | A £164m package for young homeless people in England, which will provide training and emotional support, is to be unveiled by the government. |
| Plans involve establishing a national network of supported lodging schemes and providing universal access to family mediation services. | Plans involve establishing a national network of supported lodging schemes and providing universal access to family mediation services. |
| Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly also wants more hostels transformed to offer training and skills facilities. | Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly also wants more hostels transformed to offer training and skills facilities. |
| In a speech, Ms Kelly will stress the importance of preventing homelessness. | In a speech, Ms Kelly will stress the importance of preventing homelessness. |
| Ahead of the address, she told BBC News about the proposed network of hostels for people under 24. | Ahead of the address, she told BBC News about the proposed network of hostels for people under 24. |
| Facing the problem | Facing the problem |
| Under the scheme, community volunteers would be given training so they could offer temporary homes to young people who would otherwise be sleeping rough. | Under the scheme, community volunteers would be given training so they could offer temporary homes to young people who would otherwise be sleeping rough. |
| Youngsters would also have access to advice and mediation services. | Youngsters would also have access to advice and mediation services. |
| And, after the temporary accommodation, they could housed permanently, or choose to return to their family home. | And, after the temporary accommodation, they could housed permanently, or choose to return to their family home. |
| She said: "The last thing we want to do is to see young people either on the streets or in bed and breakfast accommodation, and I think we should just say "no" to that. | She said: "The last thing we want to do is to see young people either on the streets or in bed and breakfast accommodation, and I think we should just say "no" to that. |
| We need to give people in temporary accommodation certainty Ruth KellyCommunities Secretary Life as a homeless teenager | We need to give people in temporary accommodation certainty Ruth KellyCommunities Secretary Life as a homeless teenager |
| "We shouldn't see young people in short-term bed and breakfast accommodation: they need to be supported, they need help to get their problems sorted out and this is an issue we really must face up to." | "We shouldn't see young people in short-term bed and breakfast accommodation: they need to be supported, they need help to get their problems sorted out and this is an issue we really must face up to." |
| Later, the communities secretary is expected to say: "Whilst a great deal has been achieved, there is no room for complacency whilst more than 90,000 households are living in temporary accommodation without the security of a settled home." | Later, the communities secretary is expected to say: "Whilst a great deal has been achieved, there is no room for complacency whilst more than 90,000 households are living in temporary accommodation without the security of a settled home." |
| The minister, giving her first major speech on homelessness, will also reflect on the fact that this week marks the 40th anniversary of seminal BBC drama Cathy Come Home, which looked at issues surrounding homelessness and influenced thinking. | The minister, giving her first major speech on homelessness, will also reflect on the fact that this week marks the 40th anniversary of seminal BBC drama Cathy Come Home, which looked at issues surrounding homelessness and influenced thinking. |
| She will add: "The anniversary of Cathy Come Home is a good time to review the real progress made, but also look at what more needs to be done. We have made major progress in preventing and tackling homelessness. | She will add: "The anniversary of Cathy Come Home is a good time to review the real progress made, but also look at what more needs to be done. We have made major progress in preventing and tackling homelessness. |
| "Rough sleeping has fallen by nearly three-quarters and we have made real progress in ending the scandal of families living in bed and breakfast accommodation for long periods." | "Rough sleeping has fallen by nearly three-quarters and we have made real progress in ending the scandal of families living in bed and breakfast accommodation for long periods." |
| Ms Kelly will also explain that the government wants to help more people out of temporary and overcrowded accommodation." | Ms Kelly will also explain that the government wants to help more people out of temporary and overcrowded accommodation." |
| Family 'training' | Family 'training' |
| The Conservatives have responded to the proposals by saying the government must tackle the "root causes" of homelessness. | |
| Shadow local government secretary Caroline Spelman said: "Any measures which genuinely tackle homelessness are welcome but there is a great deal of work to do as the number of families in temporary accommodation has doubled since 1997." | |
| Meanwhile, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Big Issue, John Bird, said 80% of the people who sell the magazine come from local authority support. | |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it meant that "at some stage their family broke down and they end up at 16 out on the streets and the only thing they can do is sell the Big Issue". | He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it meant that "at some stage their family broke down and they end up at 16 out on the streets and the only thing they can do is sell the Big Issue". |
| "We have to start educating people and training people on how they bring up families," he said. | "We have to start educating people and training people on how they bring up families," he said. |
| Official figures | |
| Parents no longer willing to accommodate their children is now the biggest single cause of homelessness accounting for nearly one-in-four (23%) of more than 90,000 new cases accepted by local authorities each year. | Parents no longer willing to accommodate their children is now the biggest single cause of homelessness accounting for nearly one-in-four (23%) of more than 90,000 new cases accepted by local authorities each year. |
| In addition, relationship breakdown accounts for a further 20% of homelessness. | In addition, relationship breakdown accounts for a further 20% of homelessness. |
| In 2007-08, £74m will help support the package of new measures while a further £90m is being invested through the hostels capital improvement programme. | In 2007-08, £74m will help support the package of new measures while a further £90m is being invested through the hostels capital improvement programme. |
| However, the problem of youth homelessness may be bigger than official figures suggest. | However, the problem of youth homelessness may be bigger than official figures suggest. |
| More than 250,000 people under the age of 25 in England and Wales could be classified as homeless, according to estimates supplied by charities dealing with the homeless, housing benefit numbers and local authority data. | More than 250,000 people under the age of 25 in England and Wales could be classified as homeless, according to estimates supplied by charities dealing with the homeless, housing benefit numbers and local authority data. |
| Some charities argue that many youngsters left home as teenagers and now live in poor quality hostels or on friends' sofas - and are not included in official data. | Some charities argue that many youngsters left home as teenagers and now live in poor quality hostels or on friends' sofas - and are not included in official data. |
| Have Your Say: How can we help homeless youth? | Have Your Say: How can we help homeless youth? |