Thank you to Plaid Cymru for bringing this debate to the Chamber today. Insecurity around housing continues to be a key issue facing residents across Wales, as we've heard, and especially across Bridgend and Porthcawl, my own community. This has undoubtedly been exacerbated by the Conservative UK Government cost-of-living crisis.

The report by End Youth Homelessness Cymru states that a secure and safe home is everything to a child, and I agree that we must not underestimate the impacts that housing insecurity can create on the future of children in our communities. This is certainly the case in my community. In Bridgend, we have the Wallich, an organisation that partners with Bridgend County Borough Council to assist with homelessness in our community. In their report, the Wallich quotes Aaron who is 18, who said,

'It’s hard to get to where you want to be in life when living in a hostel, but I’d rather be [in a hostel] than on the streets'.

And Lacey said all she wants is a place to call a safe and happy home. Furthermore, the reports by End Youth Homelessness Cymru showed that contributing factors of homelessness came from discrimination against people from ethnic minority communities and LGBTQ+ people, disadvantages of the systems faced by asylum seekers and refugees, and those with care-experienced backgrounds, with over a third of care leavers facing homelessness in the first two years after leaving care. This is unacceptable. We need a system and a society that allows all young people the choice to set their path regardless of their background. Poverty in housing should never be a barrier. That is why I fully support the Welsh Government's young person's guarantee for all those under 25 to be offered a job, education, an apprenticeship or support for starting a business. I'm also optimistic to see how the universal basic income pilot for all care leavers will help to empower, and I am pleased that a pilot for this is being looked at in Bridgend. However, I want to stress that young people who take part will need comprehensive and consistent support to be able to navigate change and opportunity in their lives.

There is a lot of invaluable work taking place across Wales. This is reflected both in the Welsh Government's commitments and the work being done on the ground in our communities. Our very own local charity in Bridgend, the Bridge mentoring scheme, and their community centre, the Zone, in the town centre, is very much a lifeline for so many people and young people on the cusp of homelessness. To have somewhere to turn to and be offered a cup of tea or given advice and signposting is crucial for some of the most vulnerable in our community. Without the Bridge, for many there may be no other place to turn to.

Yet, if we are to see an end to homelessness, we must start by addressing the Conservative UK Government cost-of-living crisis. Benefit payments have fallen to their lowest point in 50 years; three quarters of households will be worse off than a year ago. After years of cuts, the UK Government's local housing allowance does not reflect the financial hardship faced by our communities. With poverty being the leading cause of youth homelessness, I fear that this crisis will be the trigger that causes our most vulnerable young people and children to go without a home. The support networks are working at full capacity. Our communities are stretching their arms as wide as they possibly can to protect our young people from homelessness, but now we need Westminster to provide fair and appropriate support and relief too. Diolch.