About 30,000 homeless young people are still out on the streets, battling to survive COVID-19 on their own
Some of these young people have mental health issues that make isolation as dangerous as the virus
Many have no income or family networks to support them – in addition, worryingly, a proportion do not have a healthy constitution, meaning they are at an increased risk
In any case, without support, these young people’s chances of being homeless into adulthood will be drastically increased
There is also the prospect of youth homeliness figures rising due to the hospitality sector, which employs many young adults, being hit hard by the pandemic meaning many may struggle to pay rent.
End Youth Homelessness, a UK-wide network of local charities tackling youth homelessness, is looking to raise awareness of the issue as we combat the coronavirus pandemic.