The Centrepoint Helpline, which offers advice and signposting to any young person who is facing homelessness, has seen its busiest months since it opened five years ago.

The youth homelessness charity say it has supported a record number of young people in October, answering the calls of 721 young people, a third (32%) more than the same month last year (548 young people supported in October 2021).

In November, the service exceeded that record – with 850 young people in need of support, a 44% increase on the same month last year – 592 number of calls in November 2021 – and double the number of young callers before the pandemic (427 calls in November 2019).

New analysis from Centrepoint looked at the data collected by Helpline workers who record the basic information and the reasons for homelessness, or prospective homelessness, of each caller.

It is not surprising that over the past couple of months (October-November 2022) family breakdown continues to be the main reason for needing support. [1]

This year, however, callers citing evictions as the reason they’re facing homelessness has almost doubled compared to the same time last year (92% increase).

The charity is also concerned that the number of young people forced to sleep on the streets has increased. Over the past couple of months more young people were calling the Centrepoint Helpline for support because they were sleeping rough. This October – November the Helpline saw a 45% increase in young callers who were currently sleeping rough, in comparison to young people who were sleeping rough in the same period last year.

Those seeking support who were staying under someone else’s roof, have also increased this year and in October – November the number of young callers sofa surfing increased by 31%, compared to the same period last year.

Paul Brocklehurst, Centrepoint Helpline Manager, said:

“Due to the cost-of-living crisis, we expected an increase in calls to the Helpline, as young people were already making difficult choices between paying bills or buying food. But we certainly didn’t expect the numbers to skyrocket as they have done.

“This is above and beyond anything we have seen before and it’s showing no signs of slowing down – we expect more young people to need our support in the coming months.

“No one should be without a safe place to stay – particularly in this weather.

“That is why we need the government to act quickly to prevent more vulnerable people from ending up homeless by introducing pandemic-style support for rough sleepers, renters and benefit claimants.”

Other organisations are also seeing more vulnerable young people needing vital support. Centrepoint surveyed 28 organisations from across the country who in total support over 12,000 vulnerable young people.

Almost 4 in 5 organisations Centrepoint spoke to (77%) say that demand from young people has increased due to the cost-of-living crisis. Almost 3 in 5 organisations (57.1%) say that young people needing food support has increased significantly and almost half the organisations (46.4%) say that young people needing emergency financial support has increased significantly.

The anxieties concerning a lack of money and food, are having a negative impact on these young people’s mental health, as over 2 in 5 of the organisations (44.4%) say that more young people with mental health issues are reaching out for support. Organisations look ahead to a serious increase in the number of young people needing support with mental health needs – three quarters of organisations spoken to expected this over the next six months (75%).

It was also found that homelessness organisations believe that more young people will be vulnerable to homelessness, as 7 in 10 (70.8%) expect to see significant increases in families breaking down.

The analysis follows research from Centrepoint last month that revealed almost 30,000 young people are facing homelessness this Christmas.