The Supported Lodgings Service will offer vulnerable young people aged 16-21 facing homelessness, a safe and secure place to call home with a household in the community for up to 12 months. Lodgings providers give up their spare room and offer emotional and practical support to a young person to help them develop the skills they need to live independently in the future.
Nightstop Manager Amy Smith said: “The young people using Supported Lodgings don’t just need a roof over their heads, they also need a stable and secure home environment in which they are supported to mature and develop.
“It’s a chance for members of the local community to make a tangible difference in the life of a young person facing homelessness.”
Councillor Cate McDonald, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care at Sheffield City Council, said: “We are commissioning this new service so that young people who become homeless have more support, which will hopefully give them long-term and lasting help.
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“I’m really pleased the council is continuing to work with Depaul and would like to thank sincerely all the generous people who are willing to open up their homes to a young person in need.”
The scheme differs from the Nightstop service already offered by Depaul UK in Sheffield, which places young people at risk of homelessness in a volunteer’s spare room on a night by night basis in an emergency.
Supported Lodgings providers receive a rent payment of around £150 per week in addition to extensive training and ongoing support to ensure they are well-equipped for the role.
Supported Lodgings projects already run in several locations around the UK, including in York, Merseyside and Norfolk, where the scheme has been successful in helping young people to achieve more.
Amy said: “We’re sure that the people of Sheffield, who have been so forthcoming in opening their homes to Nightstop guests, will show the same compassion in coming forward to find out more about becoming a Supported Lodgings provider.”
If you would like to find out more about becoming a Supported Lodgings provider, attending one of the regular information sessions or booking a speaker from Depaul UK for your group, please call 07920 650579 or email [email protected]