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Teenage parents stand to benefit from new places in supported housing, following the Prime Minister’s commitment to increase the help and support available for 16- and 17-year-old parents.

Five months on from the Prime Minister’s commitment, funding has been allocated for over 200 new homes offering support for 16- and 17-year-olds who need it. New figures released today by the Homes and Community Agency, show that over £13 million has already been invested in improving the housing and support available to young parents who are homeless.

The majority of these new homes will be built before April 2011. This represents significant progress in reaching the target of 500 new places in supported accommodation by 2012, with increasing numbers of projects underway.

Welcoming today's progress, Housing Minister John Healey said:

We have made significant progress in helping those young people unable to benefit from the stability and security that living with family normally offers, and who instead often miss out on the support they need.

Since September, we've allocated £13.7 million to provide over 200 new homes offering support for these young people to live independently and to fulfil their potential.

The Prime Minister announced in September last year that all homeless 16- and 17-year-old teenage parents should receive housing and support. This commitment was backed by £30 million from Communities and Local Government to support local authorities in reviewing and reshaping provision for young people and teenage parents. This was part of a broader commitment to provide housing with support for all 16- and 17-year-olds who are unable to stay with their family by 2012.

Revised guidance on how LAs can help the homeless

The Government today also published revised statutory guidance to local authorities on how they can better meet the needs of homeless 16- and 17-year-olds. The new guidance means that local authorities will have to work pro-actively with young people and their families to identify and resolve issues which have led them to become homeless. Much of this work will be targeted, early intervention to help prevent family breakdown and keep families together.

The guidance, which follows a judgment by the House of Lords in the case of R(G) v Southwark (2009), makes clear that homeless 16- and 17-year-olds should be accommodated as a looked after child, rather than under homelessness legislation, if the child is in the local authority’s judgement 'a child in need' as defined in the Children Act 1989. The guidance is also clear that local authorities must provide suitable accommodation based on the young person’s needs.

Children’s Minister Delyth Morgan said:

Making sure local services provide targeted, early support for families is crucial. Today’s revised guidance will improve the way local authorities deal with some of the most vulnerable young people in our society. Following the recent test case in the House of Lords, I’m pleased that the vast majority of homeless young people will now be brought within the system for looked after children, with only a few exceptions. They will have access to a wide range of help and support to help them get their lives back on track.

Further information

The Prime Minister announced in September 2009 that all 16- and 17-year-old teenage parents should receive housing, with support, as part of a broader commitment  to provide by 2012 housing with support for all 16- and 17-year-olds who cannot stay with their family. Young people and parents will be offered a range of different support options, depending on their need. This can include Foyer and supported housing project, supported lodgings or floating support. 

Funding for over 200 new homes offering support for 16- and 17-year-olds marks significant progress in reaching the target of 500 new places in supported accommodation by 2012, and a significant increase in funding allocated prior to the Prime Minister's announcement (between April and September 2009, allocations were made for 60 units).  

On 20 May 2009 the House of Lords gave judgment in a case which turned on the circumstances when a young person aged 16 or 17 who can no longer stay at home should be accommodated by a local authority under section 20 of the Children Act 1989, rather than accommodated by the local housing authority  under the homelessness provisions of Part 7 of the Housing Act  1996.


It confirmed the Government's view that local authorities should presume that any lone, homeless child should be provided with accommodation under section 20 of the Children Act 1989, unless the child is not in the local authority’s judgment a child “in need” as defined in the Children Act 1989. The full judgement is available online.

The revised statutory guidance for local authorities, published today, is available online.