To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many young people have left local authority care in each of the last 10 years; and whether they intend to recommend that local authorities treat them as a priority category for social housing.
Answered on
28 March 2017
The number of young people who left local authority care in each of the last 10 years, is provided in the table attached.
In 2012, the Department for Communities and Local Government issued statutory guidance for local authorities on social housing allocations. The guidance makes clear that those leaving care should be treated as a priority group for social housing. In addition, care leavers aged 18-21 are an identified priority need group in homelessness legislation.
In 2014, we introduced the ‘Staying Put’ duty, which requires local authorities to support young people in foster care to remain with their former foster carer(s) until age 21. We have also made a commitment to introduce ‘Staying Close’, which will provide many of the benefits associated with Staying Put for young people leaving residential care.