THOUSANDS of young people are facing homelessness this Christmas with almost one in five forced to crash in unsafe places in the last year, charity Centrepoint warned yesterday.

The charity highlighted that 18 per cent of 16 to 25-year-olds polled were forced to sleep in the street, in cars and on night buses as they had nowhere else to stay. Meanwhile 20 per cent had to sofa surf.

Comfort Orotayo, 21, from south London, spent last Christmas at her friend’s house, having been homeless for four months after a family breakdown.

She says being homeless during the festive season made her feel “disconnected and alone” and like she was “watching a movie of someone else’s Christmas.”

In the new year, she received help from Centrepoint and stayed in one of their hostels for most of the year before moving into her own flat.

Ms Orotayo said homelessness can happen to “anybody” and said circumstances can “change within an instant.”

She added: “I just think everybody should take time, before they die, to at least chat to a homeless person, because I swear, the conversation you will have will change your life, or change your outlook on life, and change your perspective on life, your perception of people.”

Centrepoint director Balbir Chatrik cited “family breakdown” as the most common cause for young people becoming homeless and said people usually stay in a Centrepoint hostel for anywhere between six months and two years.

The charity offers young homeless people individual learning support in a bid to help them access education and training or employment.