One young person says rent at the Future Builders home is cheaper than what she paid to cover bills while living at her grandma’s house.
Ilayna, 20, found herself standing in Sheffield town centre at 6pm on a summer’s evening with her bags packed and no idea where she was going to sleep that night.
She was about to start a new job and had just been kicked out of her grandma’s house. Her grandma isn’t fluent in English and suffers mental health problems, and the relationship had become strained. Ilayna says she didn’t have any other family or friends she could call on. She used Chat GPT to look up an emergency helpline and waited for an hour before she was connected to a person. They told her about her local youth homelessness charity, Roundabout.
“I was crying and obviously very emotional. I’ve never gone through such a big change in my life like that, I didn’t know what to do. It was kind of scary,” she says.
Ilayna is one young person experiencing homelessness who has moved into a newly purchased three-bedroom home in Sheffield under EveryYouth’s Future Builders programme.
Bought privately from an estate agent by Roundabout, a South Yorkshire charity part of the EveryYouth national Network, thanks to funding from the John Laing Charitable Trust, the new property offers supported living for homeless young people in work, education or training at a rent price that is 50% lower than the market rate. This allows young people to pursue their career goals without needing to access state benefits.
Crucially, young people have access to wraparound support, offered by staff at Roundabout, while living in the property. Tenants can choose to receive budgeting support, counselling sessions for their mental health, tips on cooking, laundry and how to manage a household, plus access to funds for rental deposits when they are ready to move on. Roundabout also provides education, training, and job-hunting support like writing CVs and job applications.
Ilayna is working full-time at a call centre and completing a mental health nursing course online in her spare time.
“I’m doing this coursework to change my life and someone else’s. Before, when I was living in my grandma’s house, I was paying for a lot. I was paying for gas and electricity and the wifi, so that was more than the total rent [including bills] that Future Builders asks for,” she says.
In partnership with local authorities, housing associations, and private landlords, EveryYouth’s Future Builders programme secures underused or neglected properties across the UK and refurbishes them with support from foundations and businesses. By offering at least 50% lower rent than the average market rate for each area, Future Builders gives young people a chance to focus on their career without the fear of homelessness or extortionate cost of private rent.
“Living in the Future Builders house allows me to save for other things,” says Ilayna. “I want to save for my mental health nursing apprenticeship, and I want to save for the future. I hadn’t really thought of saving money until they told me about the price of the rent.
“It allows me to do other things like keeping my mental health stable. I got back into piano lessons. I’ve always wanted to go back to my piano lessons and taking classes just calms me down. I do it every Sunday – I’ll go and have a class and I feel like it’s just like a fresh breath of fresh air.”
Roundabout Future Builders co-ordinator Raymond Anderson says: “The property has three bedrooms with a large kitchen, lounge and dining area, and has a secluded outdoor space for the young people to enjoy. The property is close to an outlet and hotel, offering better chances of employment in the area, and has good transport routes to the city. A rental of this standard would be between £90 and £120 per week but due to the support of funding partners, we are able to halve the rent price, giving the young people the best chance to save.
“The project can also gain Sheffield City Council housing priority for the young people. While shared housing for some young people can be difficult, it can also be beneficial for peer learning and combating isolation. The current tenants have made themselves at home and feel comfortable and safe in the property. They are on the way to full independence and success in whatever they choose to do.”
This opportunity comes at a critical time for young people in the city. Sheffield’s homelessness crisis is only worsening. In 2023/24 the council supported 800 young people (aged 16-24) who were homeless or at risk of homelessness. The number of young people experiencing homelessness is likely higher than what records show due to hidden homelessness, such as sofa surfing or temporary stays with family.
Trust Director at John Laing Charitable Trust, Helen Parker, says: “Helping to fund the purchase of this property has allowed Roundabout to provide young people in Sheffield with a place to live at a reduced rent price, providing them with a critical stepping stone towards independent living.”
EveryYouth CEO Nicholas Connolly says: “We’re delighted to see the life-changing impact our Future Builders programme is having on young people in South Yorkshire. But we urgently need access to more homes and funding so we can support a growing backlog of young people who desperately need a place to stay – that doesn’t come at a cost to their future. We urge organisations with empty homes and funders to get in touch. Future Builders is more than accommodation, it’s a firm foundation for young people to build their potential.”
EveryYouth’s Future Builders programme operates in Bristol, East Anglia, Sheffield and Scotland. Last year, with backing from John Laing Charitable Trust and the B&Q Foundation, EveryYouth expanded the Future Builders programme by nearly 22%, creating 10 new bedspaces.
In 2024, 42 young people moved into Future Builders homes and 28 gained professional experience for the first time. Of those young people who moved on from Future Builders:
