A youth charity in Hackney has launched a campaign to establish the number of homeless young people living on sofas and under the radar of the authorities as the closure of supported housing schemes compounds the problem.

The initiative was kicked off on Wednesday with the premiere of short film Sofa-surfer that tells the story of a young girl who has spent years living precariously unable to return home.

A housing expert warned the problem will only get worse when under 35s will be unable to claim housing allowance for a one-bdroomed flat from April.