By Marc Ford MBA, Marketing & Digital Content Creator
Working at YMCA Leicestershire, I see first-hand the difference proper support can make in a young person’s life. But I also see what happens when that support isn’t there – when services buckle under pressure, and young people are left with nowhere to turn. This week, two major discussions have taken centre stage: the crisis in support services and the rise of innovative collaborations trying to patch the gaps. Let’s talk about both.
Support Services: The System is Failing Young People
A young person facing homelessness needs more than just a roof over their head -they need stability, guidance, and a real chance to rebuild. Unfortunately, across the UK, services meant to provide this are at breaking point.
Reports have surfaced that councils are failing to take homeless young people into care, instead placing them in unsuitable temporary accommodation. It’s a problem we see too often: a young person turns up at their local authority, seeking help, only to be handed the keys to a B&B room – isolated, unsupported, and completely unequipped for independent living. Worse are the councils that bound up in their own over prescriptive, sometimes in-decipherable bureaucracy, can’t place them full stop.
The Guardian recently highlighted this crisis, reporting that councils are “routinely ignoring their legal duty to house vulnerable young people,” leaving them at risk of exploitation, mental health struggles, and prolonged homelessness. The reality? Some of these young people end up back on the streets. Others drift between unstable housing situations, never getting the consistent support they need to break the cycle.
Even emergency shelters are struggling. In some areas, youth shelters are turning people away because they simply don’t have enough space. A recent report described the situation as “a source of national shame,” with rising numbers of rough sleepers and an overwhelmed system unable to cope.
Here at YMCA Leicestershire, we do everything we can to help young people before they reach this crisis point. But we need a system that works with us, not against us. We need councils to step up, to fulfil their legal obligations, and to recognise that a young person’s safety and future should never be an afterthought.
New Solutions: Cambridge Colleges & Local Innovations
Of course, where the system falls short, innovation steps in. Across the UK, organisations and communities are finding creative ways to fill the gaps.
One of the most exciting recent developments comes from Cambridge University, where two of its colleges have launched an initiative to support young people facing homelessness. Their goal? To give young people the tools to build a better future—not just by providing housing but by offering mentorship, education opportunities, and long-term support. This isn’t just about keeping young people off the streets; it’s about giving them the foundation to thrive.
Closer to home, similar schemes are emerging. In Droitwich, a new support programme has launched following successful trials in Evesham. The project is focused on young people aged 16 to 24, offering tailored support to help them find stable housing, secure employment, and develop life skills. It’s a simple concept but an effective one – meeting young people where they are and giving them the tools to move forward.
So, What Needs to Happen?
While these initiatives are inspiring, they shouldn’t be the exception – they should be the standard. The reality is that these kinds of programmes rely on funding, collaboration, and – crucially – a shift in mindset from those in power, willingly or not.
We shouldn’t have to rely on universities and local projects to do the job councils should be doing. We need systemic change – better funding for youth homelessness services, proper support for care leavers, and a legal framework that actually protects vulnerable young people rather than abandoning them to fend for themselves.
At YMCA Leicestershire, we’ll continue to fight for that change. But we also need you – the public, policymakers, and organisations – to stand with us. Support your local services. Challenge your councils. Advocate for real solutions. Because no young person should ever have to navigate homelessness alone.
The system is broken, but together, we can fix it.
To find out more about our work: www.ymcaleics.org.uk
