Mia
BBC Younger Reporter winner
BBC
“I used to be homeless for 18 months whilst in school which feels unreal now,” says Mia
I am 17 and I are living in Cardiff, however for 18 months I used to be homeless.
Right through this time, I sat my GCSEs, began school and were given a brand new child brother – but it surely was once mentally draining.
I see homelessness mentioned, however how me and my seven siblings skilled it was once utterly other.
My identify is Mia, and I used to be the Welsh winner of the BBC Younger Reporter Festival 2024, having a look into how a loss of housing affects younger other folks.
I would like different younger other folks like me to understand they aren’t on my own.
Shedding the home got here as a marvel to my circle of relatives.
At some point we were given a random letter about a no fault eviction however we did not know what it supposed.
We needed to do a little googling ahead of realising we have been being kicked out of our space.
We stayed in two accommodations and one flat ahead of getting a council space in August 2024.
In the beginning, everybody was once truly excited to stick in a lodge, however as time went on we realised that it wasn’t amusing or a unfastened vacation.
We attempted to be thoughtful of the visitors and a few personnel have been nicer than others, however that you must inform some did not need us there.
We needed to proportion rooms, which we have been used to, but additionally needed to proportion beds and needed to devour fast noodles as we did not have a kitchen.
It was once more difficult for my little siblings as they have been a bit of extra fussy.
We had no on my own time which made our emotions heightened, and I struggled with non-public house.
Getting to college was once arduous too. I used to be sitting my GCSEs and located having to get a couple of buses, some which failed to display up, to college each day truly draining.
I used to be cooped up, sharing with my siblings and it was once arduous to revise from the mattress or within the communal spaces of the lodge.
I laid all of the papers out at the mattress and sticky notes at the partitions.
Mia’s circle of relatives
It was once relatively arduous to revise as a result of I shared a small room with my circle of relatives and we did not have a lot house
In addition to suffering to get college paintings executed, I truly overlooked being close to my family and friends and felt like I overlooked out.
Other folks would say on the finish of the day issues similar to “oh, I am going house”, however you could not truly say that as it wasn’t a house.
My college would test in and provides me leftover meals on the finish of the day to take again for everybody.
It supposed now not having to fret about sorting dinner.
My pals have been nice too, but it surely was once arduous to speak about as they didn’t all the time perceive.
Other folks did not take a look at me and suppose ‘homeless’
I wish to be a journalist at some point and I am hoping to stay telling tales like mine
I have realised that individuals create a stigma across the phrase “homelessness”, and suppose it way other folks drowsing at the streets.
The Welsh govt stated there have been 1,461 occurrences of homeless other folks being positioned into transient lodging in October 2024.
In general, there have been 11,319 folks in transient lodging on the finish of that month.
The commonest sorts have been mattress and breakfasts, and accommodations, housing 3,423 folks.
Shaun
It was once nice chatting with Shaun who instructed me some other folks have no idea they’re homeless
I questioned what number of younger other folks like me are incorporated in those numbers, so I spoke to Shaun Bendle from charity Llamau, who’re operating to finish homelessness.
I used to be shocked when he instructed me round 6,300 younger other folks were given reinforce for homelessness in Wales final yr.
He additionally stated for people who find themselves homeless on their twenty first birthday, there’s a 73% probability they are going to be homeless once more.
“Other folks would possibly suppose homelessness is an older guy and a coarse sleeper however homelessness can have an effect on somebody of any age,” stated Shaun.
“Numerous other folks settee surf, or would not even realise they’re homeless technically.
“It counts as homeless if you happen to wouldn’t have any place protected to mention.”
He stated whilst numbers have stayed constant over the previous couple of years, younger other folks want extra “intense” reinforce centred on them for the longer term.
“You might handiest be homeless for a couple of months however the affect can observe you for the remainder of your lifestyles,” he instructed me.
He stated we wish to higher perceive homelessness so we will spot other folks in peril.
Now me and my circle of relatives have an enduring house, it’s relatively stunning to appear again on how arduous it was once, and the way stressed out everybody was once after we were given the letter.
I believe it is made us all extra mature on account of what we’ve got been thru in combination, and it has without a doubt introduced us nearer.
In addition to having a pleasant house to are living in, we’re with regards to pals, circle of relatives and faculty.
I don’t believe it is truly stated the way it impacts other folks instead of adults, but it surely does.
It impacts kids’s psychological well being, particularly if like me you’ve checks to fret about.
It is also arduous for younger other folks not to see their pals and is general simply draining.
I’d say talk for your pals and academics – although they could not all the time assist, they did what they might to reinforce me.
I did not really feel at house within the accommodations as they were not all the time blank and the meals wasn’t nice
It feels unreal that we went thru it for see you later, and after we were given the home it was once fantastic.
I’m at school now and I wish to be a journalist.
I love writing and studying and after chatting with Shaun truly loved discovering additional info from charities.
I paintings part-time in the similar café I labored in whilst homeless, and I meet other folks of every age.
They all the time refer to objects that came about “when I used to be your age”, which is relatively humorous on account of the way in which issues have developed for me.
Homelessness is one thing that has modified however there may be nonetheless an extended solution to move.
I am hoping I will assist folks with my tale.
A spokesperson for Cardiff council stated town were “grappling with a housing emergency for the previous two years”.
They blamed the dearth of reasonably priced housing, price of dwelling, and demanding situations inside the personal rented sector for “overwhelming call for”.
The spokesperson added accommodations are all the time supposed to be transient and stated the “difficulties confronted by way of households”.
They added households are assigned reinforce employees and the council is constant to paintings to make use of accommodations much less.
