I am a second-year politics student, studying at Goldsmiths University. Below is a small intro to myself and to why I have created this awareness video and petition to pressure the UK government and parliament TO DO BETTER FOR OUR YOUTH.

I personally suffered from youth homelessness from the ages of 15-20 and my mental health had taken a huge toll. I am glad I have got to where I am, however, along within my journey I have met many young people and continue to meet my peers, who are suffering and I want to make a change. I need help to make this change. I need your help because my voice alone will not bring change to such a broken system. Although there are some good aspects of the system, there are still many red lines that do not allow these young people to progress as the rest of the population. There are many studies on how the adolescent maturation of the brain can be hindered by such complications that homelessness brings. These complications, plus a maturing mind can hinder one's growth and leave them in a much more difficult position. Thus resulting in the risk of becoming homeless again in later life, where help becomes even harder to get. 

Youth Homelessness and Mental Health are interlinked issues that are over-taking London and the UK. 1-4 adults and 1-10 children now suffer from poor mental health. There needs to be more long term support for young people who are within social care. There needs to be more given to young people, in terms of opportunities and consistent support until they have reached a stage where they are comfortable on their own. it's no surprise there are more than 80,000 young people becoming homeless a year in the UK.. this figure may possibly be more now. Please check the description below from the video uploaded for further information and stats on how these issues are interlinked and how this problem will continue to grow unless we stand up and use our voices in bettering the system to work with young people and not against them.

Housing a young person with depression or substance misuse does not eradicate the issue. They are more likely to become homeless again if they are not given the right mental health support. Consequently meaning that a year down the line, they could be back at square one again.

Many housing organizations within the UK are restricted to what they can do with their young people. This includes funding and restrictions on how much support can be given. Barriers with universal credit and also employment and educational opportunities are dismissed within many housing associations and also at the job center. These young people have ambition and drive but are not being given the chance to pursue what they wish, due to these barriers. This feeds further into poor mental health and being trapped in a vicious cycle.

Requests to current U.K government -

**REFORM universal credit (U.C) so that it helps young people - Include extensive training to U.C staff so that when a person calls, they know how to handle the call and not further their problem by not giving enough or even in some cases, the incorrect information which delays solving their issue, which could lead to them not getting their benefits or delays with receiving it, which leads to further stress.

**Introduce Mental Health First Aid to young people so that they are aware of how to support one another. Make this apart of the curriculum and introduce different stages of its severity through different key stages to avoid safe-guarding issues with the young people.

**CREATE MORE YOUTH CENTERS within London, with staff who have the correct training to help support a young person (LONG TERM) and correctly. There also needs to be a reform in how housing associations deal with their young people. They need different support to those who are older and homeless. Young people should also be kept separate from those slightly older with more complex issues as keeping everyone grouped up as one can hinder a young person's mental health further and possibly exposing them to ways of life that can halt their growth and aspirations.

**Better Mental health services for young parents and carers. These young people are a very vulnerable group and services around London and just not accessible to them, due to travel barriers and even age barriers. Young parents and Carers need a support system and more trained staff to help them balance the things they need in order to still progress and do what they need. The rise of travel and many other expenses plus a lack of employment for young people means this group finds it harder when caring for another and not just themselves. 

**More affordable housing for college/uni students who have been through this. MORE councils to be guarantors as this restricts young people from wanting to develop. (if they do not have a house and stability then they are better off on benefits within their temporary house..how does this help??) - Real life plans with REAL action done by support workers to help young people getting back into work or education of their choice, not just whatever the job center offers.

Furthermore, a student should not be taken off the housing register once they go to university. More needs to be done in supporting those at university as housing is difficult to secure outside of term-time. How are students meant to focus on their degree and also where they will live or how they will pay rent during the summer? let alone feed themselves or manage their day to day activities. These barriers are creating further distinctions between those who are hidden and/or homeless to those who are not. Consequently meaning a further hinder into those young minds who just want to be and live like the rest of their age group but unable to due to stresses that their lives have to endure. A lot of these young people suffered poor mental health due to abusive family households or they may only have the council or borough they live in to call theirs as they have no one else. 

You may have got the choice of where you wanted to work or what you studied. so why can't they? why is our current government taking more away from our future? who do we hold accountable to this? Only we can make a true change to bring justice, peace and unity back into London and the UK as we so badly need it.

Please sign and share this petition to help raise further awareness and to make the UK government listen and to help these young people. To help our future. We are only stronger together.