London based youth homelessness charity New Horizon has announced it is no longer accepting new young people to its services due to a surge in demand.

It stresses that the move “is not a permanent change” but has been made to ensure it can continue to support its existing cohort of young people.

This is the first time since the Covid pandemic in six decades that the charity has not had an open-door policy to young people in London who are homeless or where their safety is at risk.

“Over the last three years, much like other homelessness service, we have seen growing demand on a weekly basis and despite efforts to limit the numbers of new young people we see each day," said the charity.

“In less than three months we have seen impossibly high numbers of new and returning young people in desperate need of housing support," it added.

“We are a small charity, with a small building, limited resources and an incredibly hard-working staff group.

"It’s just not possible for us to continue letting more new young people in until we can work to support this large existing group of young people and progress their housing work.

“We are doing this to try and maintain the high level of service and safety we pride ourselves on offering to young people.”

Earlier this month members of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee raised concerns that 164,000 children are forced to live in temporary accommodation in bed & breakfasts, bedsits and hotels.

Charity sector experts have warned that many support charities will face further surges in demand following benefit cuts announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves in her Spring Budget.

Department for Work and Pensions analysis suggests more than three million people will lose out by 2029/30 through the cuts, with families losing an average of £1,720 a year.

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