Feature appears, courtesy of Inside Housing issue 17 October 2008 written by Anitta Pati.
(Pictures below provided by St Basils)
Young people – particularly those not in crisis – are invisible in housing policy terms. So believes Jean Templeton, chief executive of youth homelessness provider St Basils, which this week launched a new starter homes pilot scheme aimed at addressing this.
| Yemi Lawal with prospective tenants including (far right) Mohammed Al Abdali featured in second part of this feature see links below. |
“There’s a complete gap and no real integrated pathway for young people who haven’t gone through the formal education system,” says Ms. Templeton.“ Largely, young people are invisible to housing policy unless they are presenting a problem. There’s very little in between – if young people are not successful through the formal route then they almost need to be in crisis to access (services).”
Based in Birmingham and the West Midlands, St Basils works with young people aged 16 to 25 who are homeless, or are at risk of homelessness. Its brand new Trinity Court scheme, developed with Birmingham-based Family Housing Association, includes eight ‘starter’ homes across two blocks of 12 properties in Birmingham city centre. The homes, four of which are already occupied, are for young people on minimal incomes – preferably employed – who are aspirational about their housing futures. The young residents have all moved from supported housing in other St Basils projects to Trinity Court’s general housing.
Since the project is completely funded by Housing Corporation grant, St Basils can charge a low rent while saving £10 a week on the tenants’ behalf, in a pot or joint savings scheme. The young people can match this – as long as they are employed. After three years, they can use the accumulated lump sum towards more permanent housing such as an equity stake in a property. The idea is for Trinity Court to provide a transitional base.“The model supports and incentivises young people to put something away for their future through the savings element,” explains Ms. Templeton. “It encourages them to see work, even low-paid work, as personal investment in their future and to focus on the longer term and recognise that you have to start somewhere and build up to your aspirational job.”
| Iain Wright MP and Mohammed Al Abdali outside Trinity Court |
She adds that the inspiration for the scheme came from the young people themselves, who “told us that they wanted to be able to afford to work and sustain their accommodation and live in mixed communities”.
David Stevenson, director of investment, assets and regeneration at Family Housing Association, explains that FHA holds the properties’ freehold which it leases back to St Basils.“ There’s management agreement between the two,” he explains. “We provide the housing and maintenance – a normal landlord function really.”
The support element at Trinity Court – classified as general housing – is intentionally low.
Yemi Lawal is a housing officer responsible both for selecting and moving-in tenants from a range of backgrounds. In one flat a single working mother lives with her child. Another houses a new university student, aspiring to educate himself and get a mortgage (see link below). Ms. Lawal says holding back in this project, where previously she would have been more hands-on in helping residents, poses a challenge.
“It’s very different from what I’ve been doing,” she says.“(At previous projects), if there were problems with repairs, we would talk to the contractors but now we can’t go in without permission. Now I have to draw back because we want them to exercise their own independence.”
| Denise Sproson Birmingham City Council, Christine Seaton Housing Corporation, David Stevenson Family HA |
The pilot follows specially commissioned research which supported the corporation’s decision to invest 100 per cent grant in the scheme. Christine Seaton, investment manager for Birmingham at the corporation, says: “The Housing Corporation supported the research into the provision of starter homes for young people. These homes will enable young people to have a stable platform for homeownership in the future.” She adds that the scheme’s success will be monitored.
Ms. Templeton says that other organisations, such as Solihull Community Homes, have as a consequence developed their own, similar models and that the pilot will expand at the end of the three years if successful.
And the scheme has caught the eye of junior housing minister Iain Wright, who opened Trinity Court yesterday. “Giving young people access to housing, employment and financial advice and support is crucial if we want to help them break out of the cycle of homelessness and unemployment,” he says. “This scheme will give young people the opportunity to take responsibility for themselves and their money so that they can make a successful transition to independent living.”
