Homelessness
Being homeless means not having a proper place to live. You don’t have to be sleeping rough to be homeless - you could be sofa surfing, in emergency accommodation or living in a squat. People become homeless for all sorts of reasons. Some young people are homeless because they’ve been thrown out of home whilst others have run away from home. Sometimes whole families become homeless. Whatever age you are being homeless can be very frightening, lonely and difficult. It’s important that you get help to find somewhere safe to stay.
If living at home is too dangerous or difficult would you be able to stay with a friend or another member of your family until things get sorted? It can give you breathing space to look into other options. Staying with people you trust is far safer than sleeping rough or in a squat.
There is help, support and advice available for young people who are at risk of becoming homeless or are homeless. Call Shelter on 0808 800 4444 for emergency housing advice or Childline on0800 1111.You could contact Children’s Services directly on 01522 782111 which is staffed 8am -6pm. Outside these hours the number automatically diverts to the emergency duty team. Depending on your age you should be able to get information and advice on homelessness and finding accommodation from the housing department at your local district council.
For more information and advice on homelessness visit the websites tab above.
