Hackney Community Law Centre, the charity which provides free and independent legal advice and representation to residents in Hackney, has launched an advice service for young people aged 16-24.

Hackney Community Law Centre is working alongside advice & advocacy workers from the Off Centre in Hackney Grove, and the Springboard Hackney organisation, which is based at the Levy Centre in Lower Clapton Road, to provide specialist legal advice on issues such as:

• Homeless applications
• Renting in the private sector (when there are legal issues or as part of a homelessness application)
• Claiming benefits when the young person is homeless or at risk of homelessness
• Rent arrears which could lead to the young person being evicted
• Evictions
• Accessing support from council social services departments - for example where there are child protection issues, the young person is leaving care or the young person has an immigration issue.
• Other related legal problems

The youth advice sessions take place every Thursday between 10am and 1pm.

Commenting on the new youth advice service, HCLC youth Caseworker Chorouk El-Adib said: “Hackney Community Law Centre is particularly pleased to help young people (aged 16-24, or older if they are especially vulnerable) with legal advice and assistance in any of the four areas of social welfare law in which we work. 16-24 year olds are still one of the largest groups recorded as statutory homeless and nearly half of those who are classified as living in ‘non-statutory homeless households’. Research has also shown that almost 60% of homeless people seeking advice in London are aged under 25 and that 58% of young people face legal problems without obtaining advice. This represents the tip of theiceberg as there are many young people who are unable to access legal services”.

To make an appointment for themselves or for a homeless young person they know people can call the Off Centre on telephone 0208 986 4016 or Hackney Community Law Centre on telephone 07530 845 303.

Hackney Community Law centre is a charity that provides free and independent legal advice and representation to people living, working or studying in the London Borough of Hackney and neighbouring boroughs.

Hackney Community Law Centre's new Youth Advice sessions are run in collaboration with the Off Centre and Springboard Hackney by HCLC’s trainee solicitor Chorouk El-Adib. More detailed information about the Youth Advice sessions can be found here: http://www.hclc.org.uk/youth-homelessness/