Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of domestic abuse on levels of youth homelessness; and what steps her Department is taking to improve housing support for young people experiencing domestic abuse.

This government is determined to safeguard young people affected by domestic abuse whether within their homes, families or their own relationships, preventing homelessness and supporting victims, as part of its ambitions to end homelessness and rough sleeping, and halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

As set out in our National Plan to End Homelessness we are developing a Domestic Abuse Homelessness Prevention Toolkit to help councils prevent homelessness and improve support for survivors of domestic abuse, including young people. We have recently published a new youth chapter in the Homelessness Code of Guidance, which is clear that housing authorities should consider whether a young person’s homelessness arises from domestic abuse. The new chapter can be found on gov.uk here. We are also developing a national youth homelessness prevention toolkit to support councils to deliver services that meet the needs of young people.

Where remaining at home is not a safe and suitable option, Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 requires Tier 1 local authorities in England to assess the need for, and commission, support for victims and their children in safe accommodation. We are providing £499 million from April 2026 to March 2029 to support councils to fulfil these duties. The statutory guidance, which can be found on gov.uk here, is clear that local authorities should consider the needs of all victims, including children and young people, when planning and commissioning support.