Youth homelessness and the transition to adulthood : how understanding life stage informs effective interventions
Abstract
Young people, because of their life stage, are widely thought to have distinct routes into
homelessness and require different interventions than older adults. Youth-specific
interventions are championed by those working in this sector. However, the scholarly
case for what form such responses should take remains unclear. This thesis explores and
strengthens the underpinning rationale and assumptions of current responses to youth
homelessness. Specific research questions are as follows: What are the key factors
influencing young people’s routes into homelessness? How useful is age as a proxy for
understanding young people’s support and housing needs? In what circumstances, if any,
is congregate supported accommodation a legitimate housing option for young people?
What difference do distinct national and local policy approaches make to young people’s
experiences of homelessness?
Answers to these research questions draw on youth studies literature and a critical realist
understanding of homelessness causation and new empirical data collection. The
fieldwork for this study compares two local case studies, Newcastle upon Tyne and
Glasgow, within the UK jurisdictions of England and Scotland. Interviews with National
Key Informants (n = 16) involved in statutory and third sector policy and practice roles
provided nation-level context on recent trends in youth homelessness. Local-level data
from the two case studies included interviews with local practitioners (n = 15) and young
people with current or recent experiences of homelessness (n = 23).
Key findings are that young people’s routes into homelessness can be better explained by
adopting learning from youth studies on the transition to adulthood. A proper
understanding of youth studies literature, in combination with the findings of this study,
makes clear that age has limited usefulness as a proxy for support and housing needs. It
is argued that congregate supported accommodation is not an appropriate housing option
for young people because of the intrinsically problematic impact such models have on
developmental processes. The examples of local policies on prevention and housing-led
approaches show meaningfully positive differences in young people’s homelessness
experiences. However, lower welfare entitlements for young people create barriers to
resolving homelessness and delay the developmental processes of reaching adulthood.
Based on these findings, this thesis makes the case that a greater understanding of life
stages is essential in delivering effective interventions for youth homelessness.