A BOLTON young people's project has been singled out for praise in a national report which reveals, for the first time, the extent of the young homeless crisis.

One in 20 young people aged 16 to 25 - 140,937 of them - are homeless in Britain's urban areas. One in ten - 315,743 - are in housing need, or homeless.

These startling figures were given yesterday at the launch of Youth Homelessness Week.

But the inquiry behind the report singles out Bolton Young People's Advice and Support Service in Newport Street as an example of the "successful and innovative ways of providing support for young people". And it says that what is particularly important about the local endeavour is that "young people themselves are crucially involved in the management of the centre".

The "We Don't Choose to be Homeless" report, the first independent examination of the problems facing the youngsters, was commissioned by 10 concerned charities under the chairmanship of Andreas Whittam-Smith, founder and editor of The Independent. The figures come from research carried out by the YMCA and Staffordshire University with a survey which covered over 350 housing related agencies.

Evidence from agencies and individuals all around the nation was considered by representatives from the police, local government, the church, economic research and business, together with housing and youth charities.

The Inquiry Into Preventing Youth Homelessness was commissioned by CHAR (the housing campaign for single people), Barnardos, Centrepoint, The Children's Society, NCH Action for Children, Shelter, St Basil's Centre, Young Homelessness Group, YMCA and YWCA.

The Inquiry said the figures reveal "a stark picture of modern Britain with a huge, unrecognised underclass of young homeless people trapped in poverty, and denied access to social housing".

The problem is worsening by the day and six chief recommendations are made to help matters.

First among them is that young people leaving care should receive better support towards independence.

Other suggestions are:

the reinstatement of an equitable benefits system (income support and housing benefit is less for people under 25);

the inclusion in curricular school work of the issue (preventative education covering the issue of leaving home and homelessness);

family support and mediation, aimed at helping prevent family breakdown, or repairing it;

prioritising and measuring the problem. BYPASS project is on the right road OPENED in an empty shop in Newport Street, the BYPASS advice and drop-in centre provides advice, information, an advocacy service developed by the Save the Children Fund and Bolton Social Services, plus a vital meeting place for young people. Often the only place where its users find the support and welcome the luckier ones find at home, it has a coffee bar, creche, clothing store, food co-operative, laundry, shower and cleaning facilities.

The young people themselves are actively involved in running the centre and belong to a planning group which discusses relevant issues. Last year, funding included grants from Bolton Social Services, Bolton Housing Department, Bolton Youth Service, the Department of Health, the local health authority and the SCF. All the agencies involved in the Bolton BYPASS project can see a good return for their money, for, the national report concludes: "Research for the report indicates that the taxpayer could actually save money - as much as £2,400 per person over a two-year period - were it to fund proper housing benefit for those on the streets.

"But the human cost of homelessness to the individual, and the social cost to the wider community, are incalculable."

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