Homelessness is more than just lacking shelter or sleeping on the streets. You can have accommodation and be homeless. It also includes:

• Living somewhere temporary (like hostels , hotels or B&Bs).
• Living in very poor conditions and being overcrowded.
• Living somewhere distant from services people need.
• Staying with family or friends (‘sofa-surfing’) because there is nowhere else to go.
• Living somewhere insecure where there is no formal agreement like a contract.

Living in very poor or overcrowded conditions are all known as forms of ‘hidden homelessness’ because people may be invisible to support services that could help them.

We will never know exactly how many children, young people or families are homeless in Northern Ireland (NI). That is because so much of homelessness is hidden, especially for young people and care-experienced young people. When homeless, individuals and families can go to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) for help to access social housing. NIHE data tells us that nearly a third of homeless households have children aged under 18 living in them. In January – June 2022, households and families accepted as homeless in NI included 3,495 children. When waiting for NIHE to access housing, individuals and families can spend a long time on a waiting list before they get a home, it could be months or even years. While they are waiting, they are placed in temporary accommodation which can be hostels, hotels, B&Bs or a single let which they can use for a short time. Some people have said that temporary accommodation is not suitable for children because of the poor conditions. Despite this, the number of placements in temporary accommodation for families and young people aged 16-17 has increased in recent years. In July 2022, 3,913 children aged under 18 were living in temporary accommodation in NI, an increase from 2,433 in January 2019 (this includes children living with their families and young people aged 16-17 living independently).