At least 86,000 young people in the UK are estimated to have sought help from their local council last year because they were homeless or at risk of homelessness, according to new research.
The youth homelessness charity Centrepoint says responses from more than 200 Freedom of Information requests from local authorities in England and data from the devolved nations show only a third were given a documented assessment.
It says only 13% were accepted as statutory homeless, meaning they were owed the right to housing.
Centrepoint says the figure is likely to underestimate the problem as it does not include young people who sought help from other networks such as charities, family and friends.
It says a young person’s family refusing to accommodate them was the biggest reason for homelessness among 16-24 year-olds but 58% of those who asked for help were not recorded as receiving any meaningful support.
Paul Noblet, head of public affairs at Centrepoint, said: 'These figures lift the lid on the hidden crisis of youth homelessness in the UK.
'Tens of thousands of young people are asking for help, with many denied proper housing assessments and in some cases their legal right to housing.'
