Background to YMCA Housing
The YMCA is the largest voluntary provider of safe, secure and affordable supported housing for young people in England. Every night over 7,200 young people stay at a YMCA.
The aim of all YMCA housing projects is to provide a safe and supportive environment which enables young people to move from dependent to independent living.
We work with homeless young people from a wide range of life experiences and backgrounds and this is reflected in the diversity of the YMCA's provision.
Around England you will find YMCAs that offer:
Direct access to emergency accommodation for rough sleepers
Supported accommodation for young people who might need help in other areas of their lives
Self-contained, medium-term accommodation for young workers or students
Foyer accommodation with training and education courses for residents
Move-on accommodation that helps young people live independently
Priority Needs in Woking
I came here 2 years ago with the brief to raise the profile and set up the systems, programmes and structure for the WBC funded Youth development Centre. And ensure funding was sourced and won.
Whilst getting ourselves networked into the community via various groups it was made apparent that counselling and indeed housing were the top of the local youth strategy needs list. Woking Borough Council has therefore highlighted youth homelessness as a key area of need, which is currently not being met sufficiently.
Woking has 3 small hostels available for people facing homelessness (Pound House, The Crescent, York Road.) Only one of these accepts under 18s (Pound House) and it has only 12 rooms.
Our progress
We have been working towards a Nightstop project (Nightstop provides overnight emergency accommodation in a spare family room and then the young person is referred to Connexions the next morning for a complete assessment re-housing, training etc.) We have made several bids to this end, unfortunately none have yet been successful.
We have met with local and national Nightstop workers who fully support us. I will also attach other supporters of a local Nightstop and housing project.
At a recent YMCA CEOs together meeting we had a visit from the person then developing new housing schemes, Andrew Farrell. He seemed dynamic, forward thinking and wanted to work with us.
What also helps is my soon to be published book by Jessica Kingsley publishers, which is based on a report done for the then ODPM (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) and supporting people (funding stream for housing) QAF-Quality Assessment Framework-Service user Involvement-also attached.
Stephen Horn and I met with Andrew Farrell, Ian Draper (Head of Building Services) and Ray Morgan (WBC CEO) as the first part of any Housing Project would be a partnership with the local council. Interestingly Ray and WBC said they were going to contact us about this very same thing as they have prioritised the need to develop a housing project in Woking - in line with Government and WBC strategy.
Meetings continue with WBC and Greenoaks.
The future
The basis of what we need to move this forward is:
We need to work with WBC and continue to develop the good relationship we already have. I am taking Ian Draper to another YMCA Housing project.
We need to be an RSL-registered social landlord or we need to partner with one. Options included: Greenoaks, YMCA England, Guildford YMCA or any other RSL.
As well as meeting local need and strategy-the YMCAs that remain strong and sustainable all have housing-this becomes a valuable source of revenue.
As of Oct 08 the preferred way forward is in partnership with Greenoaks and WBC.
