Step by Step charity are looking for people with a spare room to help young homeless people

Last year, more than 120,000 young people approached their council for help with homelessness. However, current provision means that most of these could not be offered accommodation.

Step by Step supports local young people facing hard times and homelessness. It offers a number of services for vulnerable young people, including supported lodgings. These are rooms in private houses where a young person is supported by a host family or individual.

Maddi became homeless upon leaving the care system with nowhere else to go. Step by Step gave her an emergency bed, before a Supported Lodgings place could be found for her with a host family.

With a stable place to live, Maddi could focus on her future for the first time. She has learnt key life skills, is studying at college and is looking forward to living independently.

Step by Step aims to help prevent youth homelessness and requires new hosts to support the expansion of its services. Hosts are ordinary people, who can offer a bedroom, guidance and compassion to a young person facing difficult circumstances.

Rocky, a Supported Lodgings host for homeless people.

Rocky became a supported lodgings host several years ago, and has helped six young people get their lives back on track, he said: “At a minimum, they are safe and comfortable. They have the space and security to think about what they want to do and to concentrate on making it happen.”

Supported lodgings hosts receive full training, ongoing support and payment for each young person they look after.

To find out more about becoming a host and making a difference to a young person in your community, call 01252 346100 or email supportedlodgings@stepbystep.org.uk

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