With high rents and a challenging local housing market, taking the first steps into independent living can be daunting for young people. Last week, our team from Youth Advice Centre (YAC), Brighton stepped in to help, delivering practical workshops at BHASVIC’s annual student conference.
Across two days, the team ran interactive sessions for 17‑year‑olds beginning to think about private rented accommodation. The student conference brings together external speakers covering issues including mental health, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), finance, first aid and knife crime awareness. YAC Brighton joined organisations such as the Samaritans, Sussex Police, RISE and several universities, amongst others, to help prepare students for life beyond college.
A total of 141 students met the team to take part in the sessions, engaging with key 
topics designed to provide the knowledge, tools and confidence they need to enter the rental market safely and independently:
- Renting basics: tenancy types, deposits and guarantors
- How to look for properties effectively – and safely
- Steps to securing a home
- Budgeting and hidden costs
- Understanding bills: utilities, food and council tax
- Student vs. private accommodation
- Benefits and challenges of shared living
Many students stayed on after the workshop to discuss their personal plans and seek tailored advice from the team, asking questions about budgeting and next steps in their housing search.
Leo, one of the attendees, described the workshop as clear, concise and genuinely helpful:
“It covered all the basics about renting with very useful info – I had lots of questions about deposits! I really appreciated there was no yap or jargon, it really felt like they were speaking to me at my level”.
YMCA DownsLink Group Head of Youth Advice & Support Thom Palser reflected on the significance of the intervention:
“As I watched our team share such essential knowledge, I was blown away by how engaged and ambitious the students were, but it also struck me how much we expect young people to know at this stage of life without ever actually teaching them.
Outreach work such as this is so important for us at the Youth Advice Centre, and we plan to deliver more sessions in the community throughout the year.”
The workshops were made possible through funding from Brighton & Hove City Council’s Household Support Fund, which supports our vital outreach work with young people in the community.
We would like to thank BHASVIC and its student community for the warm welcome and enthusiasm throughout the sessions.
We already work closely with BHASVIC through our Dialogue counselling services, which run in 40 schools and sixth form colleges across Sussex. BHASVIC students use the service regularly and give really positive feedback, so coming in to run the renting workshops felt like a natural extension of the support we already provide.
About the Youth Advice Centre (YAC)
Brighton’s Youth Advice Centre (YAC) is a safe, confidential space where young people can talk to a worker one–to–one and receive support around a wide range of issues, including housing advice for 16-25 year olds.
Our advisors help young people navigate the challenges of the private rental market, understand their rights and make informed decisions. We also support those needing emergency accommodation by guiding them through local housing pathways, connecting them with the right agencies and ensuring they feel confident seeking support.
