LandAid, the property industry charity, is behind the ‘Solutions to Youth Homelessness‘ paper released by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) today.
The paper, which brings together experts from the homelessness and built environment sectors along with policy makers to provide recommendations for policy, can now form the basis of a cross-sector strategy to end youth homelessness, LandAid believes.
In a series of 23 essays the paper highlights solutions to the problem which sees at least 86,000 young people without a roof over their heads each year. Solutions which include policy reform, reform of the private rented sector, youth support, housing association solutions, housing/land supply, affordable housing and oversees solutions. LandAid believes these recommendations could now form the basis of a cross-party, cross-industry solution to this problem. The paper comes just six months after Crisis released their plan to end homelessness in the next 10 years.
The paper was launched today at RICS Headquarters in London at an event which saw five contributors: Terrie Alafat, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Michael Newey, CEO of Broadland Housing Group and a founding member of the Homes for Cathy Group, Jean Templeton, CEO of St Basils, Stephen Robertson, CEO of the Big Issue Foundation and Paul Hackett, CEO of Optivo come together on a panel to discuss its content. The event was attended by professionals from across the built environment sector.
The paper has been released as part of RICS’ Pledge150 campaign in support of LandAid. The campaign to celebrate 150 years of the RICS and launched in November 2017 by HRH Duke of Cambridge aimed to bring together the build environment sector to provide at least 150 bed spaces for young people experiencing homelessness.
Paul Morrish, Chief Executive, LandAid closed the session today by saying ‘there are extraordinary opportunities for businesses to make a difference to this problem’ and calling for LandAid’s network to work collaboratively to end youth homelessness.