There are thousands of homeless people in London, but official figures only tell half the story. For example, some estimates suggest that as many as one in five 16 to 25 year olds in the UK have been ‘hidden homeless’ in the past year.
The ‘hidden homeless’ remain under the radar and uncounted because they may not have approached local councils or support services and are not visibly sleeping rough. They have no secure accommodation and nowhere to call home, with many ‘sofa-surfing’ to avoid sleeping on the streets.
The London Assembly Housing Committee will hear the experiences of ‘hidden homeless’ people tomorrow, ask questions about how they found themselves in this situation and what the future holds. The committee will hear from the following guests:
Panel 1 – London’s hidden homeless
- A group of people who have experienced ‘hidden homelessness’ - available for interviews
Panel 2 – Experts and practitioners
- Dr Kesia Reeve, Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University
- Nicola Harwood, Head of Nightstop, Depaul UK
- Bob Green, Chief Executive Officer, Stonewall Housing
- Mary Mason, Chief Executive Officer, Solace Women’s Aid
The meeting will take place on Thursday 23 March from 10:00am in The Chamber (The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA).
Media and members of the public are invited to attend and the meeting can also be viewed LIVE via webcast or YouTube
Follow us @LondonAssembly and take part in the meeting discussion using #AssemblyHousing and #BetweenHomes
The Committee is launching a survey on hidden homelessness, please share: www.london.gov.uk/betweenhomes
Notes to editors
- Full agenda papers.
- London Assembly Housing Committee
- Andrew Boff AM, Chairman of the Housing Committee, is available for interviews. See contact details below.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Sonia Labboun on 020 7983 5769. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.