YMCA England & Wales' Move On Campaign - YMCA DownsLink Group

YMCA England & Wales' Move On Campaign

We're backing YMCA England & Wales'call to the Government to ensure that there is more support in place to allow young people to move on to their independent lives when they are ready.

You can help - sign the petition.

Supported housing is designed to be a temporary aid for young people to settle while they receive a helping hand to get their lives on track.

Whether it is over the course of a few months or a year or two, supported housing helps those in need of structure and stability. YMCAs provide young people with training, education and develop emotional and life skills so when they are ready to move on they can.

Moving on is imperative in order for young people to grow and develop. It builds their independence and ensures that young people make a smoother and long-lasting transition into communities.

However…

The model of supported housing is dependent on young people moving on once they are ready to go. Young people often stay for months and even years after they feel prepared to move on, and all because there is no suitable accommodation available for them to move into.

Were this not the case, supported housing providers could open their doors to the young people in need of their services at the start of this journey. The system is bottlenecked with those vulnerable and in need of support unable to access this.

Nyima, a former supported housing resident

“Living in supported housing is hard. You’re thankful to have a roof over your head, and you know other people have come in from living on the street, but you really just want your own freedom and space.

It was just so hard, feeling like you were being kicked back. Even when you were doing everything right, it wasn’t enough. It was as though you weren’t supposed to succeed.”

Lisa, Housing Worker

“Our mission is to help young people to develop the skills to live independent lives.

Even with that help, however, it just isn’t enough. We want to see people moving on within two years, but we’ve had some people with us for over five years now.

They couldn’t find the right place to move to, and the pandemic has made things worse.”

YMCA England & Wales' recommendations to Government

01

Increase support to help young people reduce financial barriers

Young people struggle to move on because of sizeable upfront costs, such as deposits and rental advances, which they cannot afford as well as barriers like being unable to find a guarantor. 

02

Help young people afford the basic cost of living

Welfare benefits are too low to meet average rental costs for most young people making private rental properties not a viable option.

03

Grow the number of affordable homes

The majority of private sector housing is not suitable for young people in this position, and new builds are not accommodating their needs.

04

Make sure it pays to work

As young people move into employment, they often find they are negatively impacted, limiting their ability to save and afford basic living costs as they get back on their feet.

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YMCA enables people to develop their full potential in mind, body and spirit. Inspired by and faithful to our Christian values, we create supportive, inclusive and energising communities, where young people can truly belong, contribute and thrive.

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