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| Sofa surfers: The young hidden homeless | Sofa surfers: The young hidden homeless |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Sam does not know where he will be sleeping tonight. | Sam does not know where he will be sleeping tonight. |
| Now 23, he says he first became homeless at 15 because of a family breakdown and has been in and out of bedsits, hostels and supported accommodation ever since. | Now 23, he says he first became homeless at 15 because of a family breakdown and has been in and out of bedsits, hostels and supported accommodation ever since. |
| "I've stayed at friends' in the past - I've never really had my own actual flat," he says. | "I've stayed at friends' in the past - I've never really had my own actual flat," he says. |
| "I've slept rough quite a few times but most of the time when I've slept rough I have not actually slept. | "I've slept rough quite a few times but most of the time when I've slept rough I have not actually slept. |
| "I just wander round because I can't really shut off when I'm out in the cold." | "I just wander round because I can't really shut off when I'm out in the cold." |
| Floors and settees | Floors and settees |
| This week a committee of MPs called homelessness a "national crisis", highlighting more than 9,000 rough sleepers and 78,000 families in temporary accommodation in England alone. | This week a committee of MPs called homelessness a "national crisis", highlighting more than 9,000 rough sleepers and 78,000 families in temporary accommodation in England alone. |
| Sam drifts between friends' sofas, temporary accommodation and rough sleeping in and around Leyland in Lancashire. Young people like him do not always show in official statistics - but new UK-wide research for the BBC found: | Sam drifts between friends' sofas, temporary accommodation and rough sleeping in and around Leyland in Lancashire. Young people like him do not always show in official statistics - but new UK-wide research for the BBC found: |
| At The Key drop-in centre for young homeless people in Leyland, Ian, 25, says he has been sofa-surfing for seven years. | At The Key drop-in centre for young homeless people in Leyland, Ian, 25, says he has been sofa-surfing for seven years. |
| His days revolve around a few hours at the drop-in centre. | His days revolve around a few hours at the drop-in centre. |
| Otherwise, he walks the streets for hours, trying to stay warm and then heads to a mate's house in the evening. | Otherwise, he walks the streets for hours, trying to stay warm and then heads to a mate's house in the evening. |
| "I end up spending a few hours there. Then I would finally ask him if I could stay the night. If he says yes I would stay there." | "I end up spending a few hours there. Then I would finally ask him if I could stay the night. If he says yes I would stay there." |
| He says he feels a burden on his friends. | He says he feels a burden on his friends. |
| Sometimes he says he runs out of friends he feels able to ask and has to sleep out. | Sometimes he says he runs out of friends he feels able to ask and has to sleep out. |
| Sub-zero respite | Sub-zero respite |
| The most common reasons for young people resorting to friends' sofas included parents being unable or unwilling to provide housing, extended family being unable to help and splitting from a partner. | The most common reasons for young people resorting to friends' sofas included parents being unable or unwilling to provide housing, extended family being unable to help and splitting from a partner. |
| Tenancies ending, domestic abuse, rent arrears and leaving care also contributed. | Tenancies ending, domestic abuse, rent arrears and leaving care also contributed. |
| Ian has been offered a friend's flat for the next three weeks. | Ian has been offered a friend's flat for the next three weeks. |
| Sam has come to the drop-in centre to make calls to try to find a room for the night. | Sam has come to the drop-in centre to make calls to try to find a room for the night. |
| On the coldest nights, the local council will find him somewhere to stay but that ends as soon as the temperature rises above zero. | On the coldest nights, the local council will find him somewhere to stay but that ends as soon as the temperature rises above zero. |
| "It takes pretty much every day of my life, trying to find out where I am going to be staying. | "It takes pretty much every day of my life, trying to find out where I am going to be staying. |
| "It doesn't feel like it ever ends. I feel quite drained with it all." | "It doesn't feel like it ever ends. I feel quite drained with it all." |
| He is on medication for depression. Sam says not having an address means he can't register with a GP to get the mental health support he needs. | |
| Depression affects Ian too and both young men say it's hard to study or look for work without an address. | Depression affects Ian too and both young men say it's hard to study or look for work without an address. |
| "I feel like I'm going round in circles and circles and circles," says Ian. | "I feel like I'm going round in circles and circles and circles," says Ian. |
| "All I can do is keep trying." | "All I can do is keep trying." |
| 'Everybody's got strengths' | 'Everybody's got strengths' |
| Ursula Patten, operations director at The Key, says sofa surfers should definitely be considered homeless. | Ursula Patten, operations director at The Key, says sofa surfers should definitely be considered homeless. |
| "You are homeless if you haven't got a place you can stay on a consistent basis - somewhere that you can call home." | "You are homeless if you haven't got a place you can stay on a consistent basis - somewhere that you can call home." |
| She says about 70% of the homeless young people on the charity's books have sofa-surfed before running out of options and seeking help. | She says about 70% of the homeless young people on the charity's books have sofa-surfed before running out of options and seeking help. |
| But she believes that with the right support there is no reason why homeless young people should not have hope for the future. | But she believes that with the right support there is no reason why homeless young people should not have hope for the future. |
| "It's just a phase in your life. You may have got lost but you've got strengths. Everybody's got strengths. And I would say go and get some support and somebody to help you find your direction in life because you can attain great things." | "It's just a phase in your life. You may have got lost but you've got strengths. Everybody's got strengths. And I would say go and get some support and somebody to help you find your direction in life because you can attain great things." |
| The charity Centrepoint said the BBC data corroborated its own research, carried out in 2014 by Cambridge University. | The charity Centrepoint said the BBC data corroborated its own research, carried out in 2014 by Cambridge University. |
| Co-author Anna Clarke said: "Sofa-surfing is a not uncommon experience for young people in housing difficulties. | Co-author Anna Clarke said: "Sofa-surfing is a not uncommon experience for young people in housing difficulties. |
| "It is really useful to have this kind of evidence on something that's inherently difficult to quantify." | "It is really useful to have this kind of evidence on something that's inherently difficult to quantify." |
| And Centrepoint chief executive Seyi Obakin said it was crucial to "dispel the myth that there is anything fun or easy about sofa-surfing". | And Centrepoint chief executive Seyi Obakin said it was crucial to "dispel the myth that there is anything fun or easy about sofa-surfing". |
| "Goodwill is the only thing keeping too many young people from sleeping on the UK's streets. | "Goodwill is the only thing keeping too many young people from sleeping on the UK's streets. |
| "It's frightening just how many are trapped in a cycle that is detrimental to their health, sees them struggle to keep up in education, and where outstaying their welcome can mean becoming exposed to dangers no-one should have to face." | "It's frightening just how many are trapped in a cycle that is detrimental to their health, sees them struggle to keep up in education, and where outstaying their welcome can mean becoming exposed to dangers no-one should have to face." |