Why there are more young people becoming homeless in Cardiff?
More young homeless people are seeking support in Cardiff in recent years, whereas the official figure shows homeless people has declined.
Despite the official figure that the number of people registered homeless in Wales has declined this year, the local charity Huggard warns they haven’t seen a decrease in people applying to ask for help.
Richard Laydon, the deputy chief executive of Huggard says: “Homelessness is not just about accommodation. Substance misuse issues, mental health issues and simply chaotic lives are actually more pressing and important to be tackled.”
“One of the changes in the past decades would be the average age which has dropped quite dramatically,” he says. “We see a lot of teens and twenties who have no accommodation and couldn’t live independently.”
He explains that more young people are becoming homeless due to mental health issues, substance misuse issues, housing shortage and the changing nature of work.
“Many young people are dealing with mental health issues but a lot of mental health services have been reduced,” he says. “Certainly they are under great pressure and relying on benefits.”
As the winter approaches, Huggard will be providing food and services among Christmas day and opening up full space at the day centre at night.