It’s never been more difficult for young people to find a home of their own.
With house prices and rents rising, young people are living with their parents for longer. Those who do manage to get onto the housing ladder often have significant financial support from their family.
While all young people are finding it difficult to find appropriate accommodation, care leavers and other vulnerable young people can find it especially difficult. With the cost of living rising almost by the day, there is now little room for error for young people.
Even those with steady incomes can find themselves facing an accommodation crisis. The number of young people in temporary accommodation, sofa surfing or living on the streets is on the increase.
Whereas once this was seen as primarily an issue for big cities, it’s now facing communities across the country. With property becoming so unaffordable for young people, innovative solutions need to be found if the crisis is to be addressed.
A new housing vision for the UK’s young people
One man is determined to make a difference. Javad Marandi, businessman and philanthropist, is working with Centrepoint to develop an innovative scheme that aims to give security and certainty to young people at risk of homelessness.
The charity, which provides accommodation and support to homeless people aged 16-25, is building 300 rent-capped homes for disadvantaged young people. Sudden hikes in rent are one of the causes that can often lead to young people losing their rental property, so rents through the scheme will be capped at a third of the tenant’s salary.
To qualify for the Centrepoint Independent Living Programme, young people will need to have secured employment through the charity’s work programme.
This gives young people skills training to help them find a job with an employer who has signed up for the scheme. Once they have secured employment they will then be able to apply for permanent accommodation through the Independent Living Programme.
While initially properties for rent are being built in London and Manchester, it’s hoped that the scheme can expand across the UK.
A bold plan for the future
Marandi wants the scheme to deliver 30,000 homes nationwide by 2037, effectively eliminating the problem of youth homelessness. To do this, the charity will need significant investment, as well as businesses willing to partner with the organisation to provide employment.
“I am confident that when we can show concrete evidence of how this scheme works, both practically and economically, we will be looking at building 30,000 homes across the country, helping people whatever their stage of life.”
Centrepoint hopes that more companies will help by donating money, property and land as well as providing employment opportunities for young people.
“At the moment, the biggest hurdle to the growth of Centrepoint Independent Living is the novelty of the programme,” says Marandi. “It’s never been done before and, as with anything revolutionary, you have to prove the concept to all interested parties: potential investors, national and local government, and employers looking to sign up for the scheme. There is a chance for all to benefit and to be part of something truly extraordinary.”
As co-chair of the project, Marandi brings a wealth of commercial and philanthropic experience to the table.
In 2017, he founded The Marandi Foundation, with his wife Narmina, which is dedicated to providing disadvantaged young people and communities in the UK with access to training and educational opportunities, as well as mental health and well-being support services.
The benefits for employers
Companies that work with the scheme will be given access to a pool of motivated young talent who are being supported to establish independent adult lives. Companies who get involved in the scheme will be able to reduce their recruitment and retention costs, with young workers being given support and a stable home for years to come.
With the UK facing a complex range of economic and structural challenges, the Centrepoint scheme is bold in its ambition. If the vision of 30,000 homes for vulnerable young people can be realised it could be truly transformative.
The Centrepoint Independent Living Programme could provide a viable model not only for younger people but anyone caught in an expensive rent trap.
