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  1. ITV Report

A £10m funding boost for plan to end youth homelessness in Wales by 2027

A cash boost of £10m will go towards a decade-long plan to end youth homelessness in Wales.

First Minister Carwyn Jones announced the funding to support the Welsh Government's mission to end the country's youth homelessness by 2027.

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The Welsh Government said it will work with local authorities, housing associations, homelessness agencies and the End Youth Homelessness Cymru Coalition, to help young people avoid crisis situations and support them into stable accommodation.

In Wales, we have some of the most progressive homelessness and social services legislation in the world, which has prevented 11,514 households from becoming homeless between its introduction in April 2015 and the end of June 2017.

And yet I continue to hear of young people becoming homeless after leaving care, young people dropping out of education, young people in custody and young people with nowhere else to stay but a bed and breakfast. This is not good enough.

Wales must lead the way on tackling homelessness. I want us to be bold - to take new approaches, focus on interventions that make a real difference and work with partners to help young people avoid crisis situations and support them into stable accommodation.

– Carwyn Jones First Minister

We believe that we have a wonderful opportunity in Wales to deliver real change.

Estimates show that every year over 7,000 young people ask for help with homelessness, but we know that many more young people don't know where to turn or who to ask for help when they become homeless.

– Frances Beecher, CEO of Llamau

Earlier this year, ITV Wales spent time with rough sleepers in Cardiff.

During that time, everyone who presenter Andrea Byrne spoke to had their own individual story as to how and why they ended up living on the streets.

The coverage also provoked campaigner and actor Michael Sheen to call on the Welsh Government to do more to tackle the issue of homelessness in Wales.