Reality Of Homelessness Close To Home For Britain's Youth

A MORI poll has revealed one in five (19%) adults personally knows or has known someone who has experienced homelessness. The survey, commissioned by the national charity for homeless people, Crisis, to mark its 30th anniversary finds this figure rises to nearly three in ten (28%) of young people, 15-24 years.

Of the young people who know a homeless person, three quarters said it was a current or former friend. In addition 7% of this group said they had experienced some form of homelessness themselves, in comparison with 5% overall.

Despite the obvious visibility of street homelessness in the Capital, respondents in London appear least likely to know a homeless person (16%), while those in the South West record the highest figure (23%).

Further findings from the research are:

• Despite the Government's focus on work rather than welfare, only 13% of respondents believe that helping homeless people find work is the most important step to tackle homelessness.
• Of the people who do know a homeless person, six in ten (60%) disagree that most people who sleep on the streets have brought it on themselves.
• Only one in ten (10%) of respondents believe building more low-cost housing is the most important way to tackle homelessness. This has dropped eight points since January 1997.
• Close to one in ten (9%) of people over 65 years said they personally know or have known someone who is homeless.
• Just over one in ten (11%) of everyone who personally knew a homeless person, said it was a member of their family.

Technical details

MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,050 adults aged 15+ at 166 sampling points across Great Britain. Fieldwork was conducted face-to-face, in home from 20-23 February 1998.