Young homeless people and service provision

This paper focuses on access to services, and views of service provision amongst young homeless people aged 14-25 years. Two hundred young homeless people were interviewed in locations throughout Greater Manchester, the majority in towns surrounding the city of Manchester. A semistructured interview schedule was used with interviews being taped and transcribed to provide additional qualitative data. The operational definition of homelessness included not only those who were roofless, but also those residing in hostels, bed and breakfast accommodation, or staying temporarily with friends. Topics examined include: access to services such as housing, health, advice and information; appraisal of service provision; confidence in securing help; and the use of both formal and informal support services. Results show that the provision and use of services for young homeless people varies widely across the county, with the majority of services being concentrated in the city of Manchester. Respondents made good use of certain services such as streetwork agencies, but exhibited a lack of confidence in securing help with the most basic needs, such as food. A desire to avoid being labelled as 'homeless' appeared to make some people unwilling to make use of non-statutory agencies specifically for homeless people. Overall, respondents found particular difficulties in accessing help from statutory services, such as housing and health. Findings point to the necessity of providing adequately resourced services which reach out to young homeless people.