Events

Homelessness in London: why youth homelessness needs its own solution

Hosted by the LSE Homelessness Initiative and CASE

In-person and online public event (Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House)

Speakers

Ellie Benton

Ellie Benton

Meghan Roach

Meghan Roach

Lily Walker

Lily Walker

Chair

Dr Tania Burchardt

Dr Tania Burchardt

An estimated 20,000 young people in London were experiencing homelessness, or were at risk of homelessness, in 2022/23. This represents a 10% increase compared to 2021/22, with a similar trend seen nationally. Crucially, estimates suggest that 48% of all young people experiencing homelessness do not contact their local authority, or face barriers in doing so. The event will explore why youth homelessness in London has increased; the special needs of young people experiencing homelessness; the challenges for London’s local authorities and voluntary organisations in addressing these issues; and proposals for helping solve the problem of youth homelessness.

Meet our speakers and chair

Ellie Benton is a CASE Research Officer who leads on qualitative research across a range of topics impacting low-income communities; she is part of the team at LSE that worked with New Horizon Youth Centre to produce the research which this event is based on.

Meghan Roach is Director of Operations at New Horizon Youth Centre, a youth homelessness charity supporting young people across London. In her role, she oversees delivery of all frontline services as well as leading on the organisation’s staff care and people functions. Meghan has ten year’s experience working within the youth sector, with a particular focus on developing employability and personal social development programmes. Prior to this, Meghan graduated from the University of Leeds with Bachelors and Masters degrees in History. 

Lily Walker is Assistant Director of Advocacy and Activism at Shelter.

Tania Burchardt is Associate Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE), Deputy Director of STICERD, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Policy at LSE.

More about this event

This event will be available to watch on LSE Live. LSE Live is the new home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.

The Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (@CASE_LSE) examines different dimensions of social disadvantage, and analyses the impact of public policy. 

The LSE Homelessness Initiative is a volunteer organisation for staff concerned about the homlessness crisis in London. The event will build on recent LSE research in partnership with New Horizon Youth Centre, which explored young people's experiences of interacting with local authority homelessness services in London.

This event is part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2024, taking place from 19 October to 9 November with events across the UK.

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This public event is free and open to all. This event will be a hybrid event, with an in-person audience and an online audience. 

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For the online event: Registration for this event will open after 10am on Thursday 17 October.

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