Supported Lodgings and Fostering Christmas Afternoon Tea, Basingstoke
3 December 2026
Join Step by Step for National Supported Lodgings Week 2026, 7 to 22 November. Find a stall near you and see how a spare room can change a young life.
Enquire About Becoming a HostNational Supported Lodgings Week (16 to 22 November 2026) is a UK-wide campaign raising awareness of Supported Lodgings, where people with a spare room give a young person a safe home and everyday support. Step by Step is marking it with two weeks of community stalls and activity across the south of England, from 7 to 22 November.
Youth homelessness can feel too big for any one person to fix. But the difference could start in your own home, with a spare room and a bit of your time.
National Supported Lodgings Week is an annual awareness week led nationally by Host the Future, an initiative from Home for Good and Safe Families. Now in its second year, it brings together Supported Lodgings schemes across the UK to celebrate hosts and encourage more people to open their homes to young people.
Why are we running it for two weeks? The official week runs from 16 to 22 November. We're holding stalls across our counties, and one week isn't enough to reach them all, so we're starting early and running our activity from 7 to 22 November.
Supported Lodgings gives young people, usually aged 16 to 21, a room of their own in a host's home, with the support of a trusted adult while they work towards independence. Some young people stay in extended placements up to the age of 25.
As the UK's leading provider of Supported Lodgings, we supported 178 young people through the service in 2025 to 26, and 76% of them made positive progress.
Being a host isn't about having all the answers or turning your life upside down. You give a young person a safe room of their own and around an hour of support a day. That might be sharing a meal, helping with a budget or talking through a college application: the everyday things that help someone find their feet.
You'd never be doing it alone. Every host gets:
Come and say hello at one of our stalls. There's no pressure: it's just a chance to ask questions, meet the team and find out what hosting really involves.
Can you build a safe home? Using building blocks, you'll spin a wheel to find out which barrier you're up against. Each one reflects a real challenge young people face when finding a home:
Try it at one of our stalls or at home. Share your attempt on social media using #StackedAgainstYou and tag Step by Step.
“"Every young person I've had has been lovely. They might struggle sometimes, but that's often because of what they've been through. They just need someone to care."
You can still take a stand against youth homelessness this National Supported Lodgings Week:
No. We provide all the training you need and ongoing support throughout your journey. What matters most is the kind of person you are, not what you have done before. Our hosts come from all walks of life. Some have raised children of their own, others have not. Some work full-time, others are retired. What unites them is the willingness to offer a safe home, encouragement, and belief in a young person. If you can provide that, you could make a real difference.
That’s fine. Many of our hosts work. What matters most is providing a safe, stable, and supportive home.
Yes. You will always have full say over who lives in your home. We take great care in matching, considering your lifestyle, preferences, and the needs of the young person. Once we believe there is a potential match, we will arrange for you to meet the young person so you can see how you both get on. Only if you both agree does the placement go ahead. We know that great things can be achieved with the right match, which is why we are so careful at this stage.
You will receive two types of financial support. Firstly, you receive rent for the room, which is based on the Local Housing Benefit rate for a room in a shared house. Secondly, you receive a small financial contribution to recognise the support you are providing as a host. The exact amounts differ depending on the local area, so the best way to find out more is to reach out and enquire. We can then let you know the rates for your area and talk you through what to expect.
You will have access to a dedicated coordinator and 24/7 support, so you are never on your own.
Whether you open your spare room or help us spread the word, this National Supported Lodgings Week you can take a stand against youth homelessness.
