A charity is warning that too many young people are still ‘trapped in limbo’ despite the number of young people owed homelessness support falling.
According to the latest statutory homelessness statistics for England, released by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), 13,270 16-24-year-olds in danger of homelessness were owed a prevention or relief duty between October and December 2025.
1,020 18–20-year-old care leavers were recorded as being owed homelessness support – a 6% decrease on the same period in 2024. In total of 76,270 households were assessed as being owed a prevention or relief duty for October to December 2025.
However, the number of children living in temporary accommodation has risen. It comes as the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity Centrepoint has reported that more young people are living in in temporary accommodation and getting stuck there for longer.
A freedom of information request submitted to the MHCLG found that one three young households living in temporary accommodation had been there for more than a year, with some staying up to five.
In March 2025,12,390 young households were living in temporary accommodation, up from 11,840 the previous year. However, for many, this is not a brief stop gap. On the same day a year prior, 47% of young households in temporary accommodation had been there for less than six months. Fast forward a year and, this had declined to 42%.
Most concerningly, as of March 2024, 31% of young households had been there more than a year, with this rising to 35% the same time 12 months later.
Centrepoint is also warning the reliance on TA is becoming financially unsustainable. In 24/25, the government spent £2.8 billion on it – a 25% increase in one year. The costs are spiralling for council’s too; with its spending on temporary accommodation more than doubling in the last five years.
Dr Lisa Doyle, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Centrepoint, said: “Stable housing is the foundation for everything else in life and despite today’s drop there are still too many young people trapped in limbo.
“The wait between requesting support and getting it is simply too long, and the increasing reliance on temporary accommodation cannot continue. It is meant to be a short-term solution, however, the young households who are forced to live in it for years face the risk of repeated homelessness, poor mental health, and long-term disadvantage increases.
“Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet here. The government is doing the right thing by making commitments to reducing the use of Temporary accommodation as well as its focus on prevention and support – but it’s increasing the level of housebuilding, including the building of suitable one bedroom social homes, that will transform things for young people.
“Without that, too many young people will continue facing homelessness and excluded from stable housing and the opportunity to move forward with their lives.”