Shaping Better Outcomes for Young People

We caught up with MACS CEO Kate Martin to talk about the realities of youth homelessness in Northern Ireland, the rising challenges facing young people, and what needs to change to make things better. From skyrocketing rental costs to the impact of family breakdown, we discuss the realities of youth homelessness.

What are the biggest challenges young people facing homelessness in Northern Ireland experience today?

The biggest challenge of young people facing homeless today is finding affordable housing.  With a shortage of social housing, young people are having to search for private rental options.  Private rental costs have increased exponentially over recent years and desirable and affordable options are limited and therefore highly competitive. A recent news article stated that the average rent in Belfast is now £1,127 per month. Demand is higher than supply and this makes it difficult for our young people to access suitable housing options.   Family breakdown is another huge challenge for young people, and it often leads them to find themselves without a safe place to stay and isolated from any support. This impacts their mental health and many young people facing homelessness will struggle with trauma and anxiety. Homelessness will also impact young people’s ability to maintain education or employment with the uncertainty of where they will be staying tonight.   Young people facing homelessness is often hidden and it can be difficult for them to understand what to do or who to ask for help.  Without access to support services young people can be at risk of exploitation.

Have you noticed any changes or trends in youth homelessness in recent years?

Unfortunately, youth homelessness has seen a significant increase over recent years.  The impact of Covid and lock down meant many of those hidden homeless young people sleeping on sofa’s had to move out.  During this time, the numbers of young people presenting as homeless to the Housing Executive spiked and the high numbers have remained.  The ability to access affordable properties for young people is getting harder and harder and where only a few years ago it may have taken a few months to find suitable accommodation now it can take years. We have also seen the numbers of young people entering the care system at 16 and 17 increase which highlights the need for earlier interventions and family support.

What needs to change in Northern Ireland to reduce youth homelessness?

We need increased investment in prevention and early intervention work, using evidence-based programmes such as ‘Upstream’ to identify young people at risk of homelessness before they hit crisis point.  We know many young people become homeless due to family breakdown and if those young people and their families were able to access the right support at the right time we could prevent this from happening.    We also need housing options that prioritise young people and prevent them from entering the homeless system.  Young people at 18 should not be in generic homeless hostels they need to be protected and supported to reach their full potential.

If you could send one message to policymakers about youth homelessness, what would it be?

If you prioritise and invest in young people, the long term benefits will be huge. Focus on interdepartmental working to deliver prevention and early intervention services that will stop young people ever having to enter the homeless system. Invest in specialist housing options such as the shared tenancy model and the NIHE’s Supporting People programme to enable services for young people to expand and meet demand.  Housing is a basic human right and I would like you to imagine being 18 and attending school with ambitions to go to university but you find yourself homeless and sleeping on a friend’s family sofa.  Your options are very limited… and your pathway can take you in very different directions, what if there is no available sofa anymore and you have to move.  Can you imagine you could get yourself to school each day? Will you get the grades to follow your dreams?  At MACS this story is more familiar than you would think, homelessness comes in many forms and much of youth homelessness is hidden.  This is why it is so important to invest in services that can provide the right  support at the right time and let young people reach their full potential.  Our staff working directly with young people are highly skilled, compassionate and resilient and they ensure the needs of the young people experiencing homelessness are met.  Policy makers need to recognise the professionalism of these staff and the positive impact the voluntary sector delivers on a daily basis.

How can the public and local communities help support young people experiencing homelessness?

I would encourage the public and local communities to support their local charity providing support to young people experiencing homelessness.  All donations or fundraising at MACS goes directly to our young people.  It helps us provide emergency utility top ups, food, and essential items.  We can also use donations to provide emergency accommodation options for young people in crisis.  Organise a pub quiz or a sponsored event, take part in a sleep out, or donate some presents at Christmas. No effort is too small and supporting a charity makes a huge difference and is always greatly appreciated.  PS.  If anyone has a spare house they would like to donate, that would also be awesome!

If you could say one thing directly to a young person experiencing homelessness right now, what would it be?

You are not alone, I know this is a scary time but there are people that can help. Please get in touch with the MACS Team and we will stick with you through this journey.