Appeal over '˜hidden' homelessness

A total of 276 vulnerable youngsters from North Yorkshire were last year referred to SASH’s Nightstop service, which sees volunteer ‘hosts’ provide emergency overnight accommodation in their homes.

More than 20 per cent of referrals – 57 – came from Harrogate, placing it as the second busiest area in the region behind Scarborough.

Now, the charity has launched an urgent appeal for volunteers in the town to offer young people facing homelessness a room for the night to prevent them from being forced to sleep on the streets.

SASH co-ordinator for Harrogate, Natalie Revell, said: “People don’t realise there are homeless young people in Harrogate due to it being an affluent area, but it’s definitely a big problem. It’s a hidden epidemic.

“There might be people that would volunteer if they knew the true extent of the problem, so it’s about getting the message out there.”

Through its emergency Nightstop project and longer-term Supported Lodgings scheme, the charity supports 16 to 25-year-olds who need a safe place to stay while they find somewhere permanent to live.

Once they have acquired the knowledge and skills they need to become independent, SASH also helps young people to find accommodation, which can be problematic in Harrogate due to high rent and property prices and an escalating cost of living. According to the National Housing Federation’s Homes Truths 2016/17 report, the average house price in Harrogate of £305,442 is 11.3 times the average local salary of £26,983.

Ms Revell said: “Affordable rent is very difficult for young people in Harrogate and there is certainly an issue helping them to find affordable accommodation after they have been through the service. It’s definitely getting harder.”

Yvonne Dawes, who lives near Harrogate, has been a SASH host since 2013 and in that time has helped more than 50 young people.

She said: “People ask me why I do this. I do it because I can and because it could be any of us in that situation. It’s a very rewarding thing and I’d definitely recommend it to other people. It’s been a very positive experience.”

James, 19, recently stayed in Nightstop with Mrs Dawes, before moving into longer-term accommodation with SASH.

He said: “I was sleeping in a car after a family breakdown. Without SASH, I don’t know what I would have done. I would have had to stay on the streets. I felt a lot more positive after Nightstop - I knew how to move forward.”

There are currently just eight Nightstop volunteers in Harrogate and the shortage means that if there is nowhere for the town’s homeless young people to stay, the charity has to send them to York, or in the worst case scenario, turn them away.

Ms Revell said: “Youth homelessness is not as visible as adult homelessness as young people tend not to sleep rough, they stay on friends’ floors or sofas instead. However, it is a very real problem which can put young people at risk of abuse and has a detrimental effect on their mental and physical health and ultimately their future life prospects.

“My message to people interested in volunteering would be, if you enjoy the company of young people and have a room spare and feel you could offer emergency accommodation for the night, please get in touch.”