Number of young homeless people ‘alarming’, says trust

Number of young homeless people ‘alarming’, says trust

The warning comes from the Shelter Trust, which provides accommodation for homeless people at four sites in the Island.

It says it expects 500 people will have sought its help by the end of this year, up from the 364 individuals who turned to it in 2017.

The charity provides a bed for around 100 people every night, of whom 20 are aged 25 or younger.

John Hodge, director of the Shelter Trust, said: ‘It is the view of the Shelter Trust that the current level of homelessness in Jersey is unacceptably high. The growth in the number of homeless young people, aged between 16 and 25 who are turning to the Shelter Trust for support is alarming.

‘When the Shelter Trust was first established more than 25 years ago, the trust supported between 20 and 30 homeless males per night and it was not uncommon for 20 or more individuals to be found sleeping rough in multi-storey car parks. At that time the trust rarely encountered young homeless people. Through the efforts of the Jersey Homeless Outreach Group in conjunction with the Shelter Trust rough sleeping is now a comparatively rare event.’

Mr Hodge is calling for a homelessness strategy in place of what he describes as ‘well-intentioned ad hoc measures’.

He says there’s a common theme when it comes to the root cause of people ending up homeless.

‘On the basis of a wide range of recent credible studies there is significant evidence that mental-health problems are causation factors, and a consequence of homelessness. The risk of mental-health problems is ever present, problems can impact to a greater or lesser degree on individuals before, during or following periods of homelessness. Based on the experience of staff at the Shelter Trust it is apparent that the causes of homelessness in Jersey, including mental-health problems are similar to those highlighted in studies conducted in the UK and elsewhere.’

Mr Hodge wants the Housing Minister, Senator Sam Mézec, to lead efforts to tackle the problem, with ‘immediate significant emphasis’ on preventing people becoming homeless in the first place.

Responding to the call for action, Senator Mézec said: ‘I recognise the challenges experienced by individuals and families who, for a variety of reasons, become homeless or are at risk of homelessness. It’s one of my priorities to tackle the important issue of homelessness in Jersey.’

He also confirmed that he was working to establish the scale of the problem: ‘I’m working closely with organisations like the Shelter Trust to establish the extent and nature of homelessness in the community, and the actions needed in relation to accommodation and support to prevent homelessness.’

Housing has been stated to be among the government’s top priorities. Its soon-to-be-debated Common Strategic Policy states: ‘We will reduce income inequality and improve the standard of living by improving the quality and affordability of housing, improving social inclusion, and by removing barriers to and at work.’

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