Crisis clients attend Youth Homelessness Parliament

Young people who have received support from Crisis in Merseyside and Newcastle have attended the annual Youth Homeless Parliament at the House of Commons.

Crisis clients addressed Marcus Jones MP, Minister for Local Government, sharing their personal accounts of homelessness and the challenges and successes they experienced in finding somewhere to call home.

Dan, who came to Crisis after losing his home, shared his story. “I had a period of about nine months where I experienced homelessness. This happened because of a breakdown within my family,” he said. “I worked closely with YMCA staff to find somewhere to live. After I gained full independent living, I worked closely with Crisis who set me up on the Renting Ready course. This gave me a lot of insight into how renting and living alone worked and all the things to consider. I’ve now been in my place for four months.

“These two support networks have helped me thrive. I honestly don’t want to think what would have happened had I not had the support of Crisis and the YMCA.”

The Youth Homelessness Parliament provides young homeless people with new skills and a platform where their voices, concerns and ideas can be heard. The initiative also allows Ministers and civil servants to directly consult with young people who have experienced homelessness and are using housing or homelessness services

Funded by The Department for Communities and Local Government, the Parliament is made up of 100 young people aged 16-25 from across England, who are homeless and receiving support from charities including Crisis.