Homeless young people across the East Midlands will soon benefit from a new project which will help transform their housing, education and employment prospects, thanks to an injection of government funds reaching nearly £3million.
Opportunities will open up for 340 young adults aged 18 to 24 over the next three years after Ambition East Midlands – a project joining the YMCAs in Derbyshire and Leicestershire with charity P3 in Derbyshire – attracted £2.95million from the Fair Chance Fund.
Young adults faced with homelessness currently face many problems when trying to access local government support, including limited bed spaces and little resource able to serve the complexity of their needs. This can often lead to crime, rough sleeping, substance misuse and long-term benefit dependency.
Each young person referred to Ambition will be allocated a link worker who will provide intensive, personalised support that starts by helping them find a stable place to live. They will also be offered guidance on education, training and employment opportunities.
Anna Maudsley, housing director for The Y, said: “Our ‘housing-first’ model will ensure that vulnerable young people will have a secure platform from which to build their aspirations for employment and learning. This would not be possible without the many local organisations who will be playing a role in the delivery of the project.”