Coram has responded to the official homelessness statistics, published today, highlighting concern for the rise in homeless young care leavers.
Responding to the release of new Government statistics today, Linda Briheim-Crookall, Head of Policy and Practice Development at Coram Voice, said: “This Care Leavers’ Month, at Coram we are particularly concerned about the increase in numbers of young care leavers (age 18-20) facing or at risk of homelessness recorded – from 4,310 to 4,610. This is more than 1 in 10 care leavers.
“It is particularly worrying that 600 of these young people faced homelessness straight after leaving a care placement (e.g. foster care or children’s home). This is a clear indication of a failure of planning, as young people are leaving care placements with no plans in place for their next accommodation. These issues must be addressed through care leaver’s pathway plans, and it is unacceptable that so many young people are faced with the stress and worry of coming out of care with no plans for where they will live.
“Youth homelessness is not just a problem for young people; it is a concern for all of us. Behind every statistic is a real young person who, whatever their circumstances, has the potential to shine.
“Housing and homelessness are the number one issues care leavers seek help with from the Coram Voice Advocacy Service. The Government must address the needs of young people—and especially care-experienced young people—in its forthcoming Ending Homelessness Strategy.”
Helen, a Coram Housing Rights Ambassador, said: “I went into care when I was 16, after problems with my family meant I could no longer live with them. Whilst in care, I was moved three times. When I turned 18 and became a care leaver, I was eventually given my own flat, but after I fell pregnant I didn’t get the help I needed to move to a more suitable place, so I moved out to live with my partner in another area.
“Things fell apart after our relationship broke down, and I found myself homeless and without help, at a time when I was most in need of care. Although the council had duties towards me as a care leaver, I was not given a Personal Advisor and was told I had made myself intentionally homeless. I had to repeat my story lots of times to people who felt like strangers. I ended up spending time in different places – an emergency hotel, a hostel, and then a bedsit for four months that was completely unsuitable and unsafe due to my disability – I am blind.
“All of this took a huge toll on my mental health. Not having a stable home, and not having a permanent address, makes all parts of life much harder. Government needs to take this seriously. All young people deserve nurture and a stable home, to have a chance at a positive future.”
Care leavers face an increased risk of experiencing homelessness. Care-experienced young people up to age 25 are owed ‘corporate parenting duties’ by the local authority responsible for their care.[1] These duties require local authorities to support care leavers as if they were their own children, and include duties to ensure young people are safe, have stability in their home life and are prepared for adulthood and independent living. Many homeless care leavers have additional support needs, including a mental health problem, physical ill health/disability, or a learning disability. Many require additional support as they grow older, leave care and move on to live more independently.[2]
Despite this, more than 1 in 10 care leavers face homelessness or a risk of homelessness, due to gaps in the support they receive after leaving care, and government data shows a sharp increase in recent years.[3]
Care leavers face systemic barriers to accessing suitable housing and support services. Care leavers are subject to a local connection test for homelessness support and lose ‘priority need’ status when they turn 21. They also face a post code lottery in relation to local authority social housing allocation policies, which means their priority on social housing waiting lists will depend on where they wish to live.
According to official statistics 89% of care leavers live in suitable accommodation[4], yet in our surveys 31% of care leavers feel that where they live is not right for them. In addition, more than a third don’t always feel safe and almost half don’t always feel settled where they live [5].
Coram is calling for three things the government can do to ensure care leavers have a safe and suitable home:
- Remove the local connection test for homelessness support for care leavers, mirroring the recent and welcome removal of the local connection test for access to social housing. This would allow care leavers to access support to avoid becoming homeless in the first place, no matter where they live.
- Give all care leavers ‘priority need’ status under homelessness legislation, up to and including at least age 25. Currently this is limited to care leavers aged 18, 19 and 20.
- Ensure all care leavers have access to independent advocacy to assist with homelessness and housing issues, no matter where they live, including non-instructed advocacy (for young people with a disability or communication difficulty) and advocacy in a language that they understand.
Find out more about the key issues facing homeless young people and our recommendations for change
Watch Coram’s award-winning film Glow in the Dark on youth homelessness
Read more about ‘Home is where the start is’, Coram’s Christmas campaign
[1] Corporate Parenting Duties are set out in the Children and Social Work Act 2017
[2] Statutory homelessness England: Support needs dashboard 2022-24
[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics
[4] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2025
[5] Bright Spots data 2025, Coram Voice