Monday 13th May, eight young people currently accessing our service were invited to visit both the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Housing and Homelessness) and the MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven.
As part of our co-production Youth Voice work, we accompanied these eight young people to the Houses of Parliament. This invitation followed the first parliamentary committee debate of youth homelessness for 40 years on Wednesday 1st May.
The young people were looking forward to discussing and asking questions surrounding the country’s alarming increase in those rough sleeping, the suitability and support of accommodations provided by the local council, and the current government’s plan to address the country’s ongoing homelessness crisis. The young people had a 30-minute meeting with the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Housing and Homelessness), following which saw a longer conversation with their local MP.
One young person said after the visit, “I’m hoping even if today doesn’t cause any changes or effects, hopefully just us going up there might give a little insight into the lives of normal people. I hope that they understand that it can happen to anyone… that most people in this country are maybe a pay check or two away from being homeless.”
Another young person said, “I’m hoping that the MPs will understand that I’m just like them. We’re all humans, trying to succeed at life and all at different places on the road, and if we continue to receive help, then we can succeed at our goals.”
The feeling of the group after the visit was that it was an enjoyable and worthwhile visit. There were positive feelings following their meeting with their local MP, and while the young people came away from the meeting with the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Housing and Homelessness) feeling disappointed with her responses, the opportunity to share their experiences, perspectives, and ideas with policy makers was a positive one overall.
This visit came off the back of our organisation’s support of the #PlanForThe136k campaign by New Horizon Youth Centre. You can click here to find out more about this campaign.