Young People Stories
Just weeks before her son was due to be born, Mia* was sofa surfing with nowhere stable to call home. She had already spent time in a Single Persons Homelessness Unit in Havant, but with a baby on the way, she needed more than a roof over her head: she needed a safe, settled place where she and her son could start to build a life together.
Mia was 37 weeks pregnant when she first met Step by Step’s Supported Lodgings team in Portsmouth. The clock was ticking, and so was her worry: without stable accommodation, she feared social services would have no choice but to remove her son from her care. She was determined not to let that happen.
When Mia met her host family, something clicked straight away. Their home felt safe and supportive, the kind of place where she could imagine starting this new chapter. She moved in the very next day. Four days later, her son was born. Mia had found her footing just in time, and from day one, mother and baby had a stable home to come back to.
Since then, Mia has thrown herself into giving her son the best possible start. She has worked closely with her host and the professionals around her, taking on board every piece of knowledge and support on offer to help her be the best mum she can be. She has not stopped there either: Mia has sought out baby groups across Portsmouth and connected with local charities offering home visits and support that goes beyond what the local authority provides, exactly the kind of resourcefulness and determination that has carried her this far.
The results speak for themselves. Mia and her son share a beautiful bond, and he is growing into a happy, content baby who is clearly thriving. Mia is now looking ahead and exploring her next move beyond Supported Lodgings.
"I am so grateful for the support I have had, especially my host who has been very kind and patient with me. I feel without the support authorities may well have taken my son away from me, but now I feel ready to be his Mum without the daily support."
Mia's story is a reminder of what is possible when young people facing homelessness are met with the right support at the right moment. A host's spare room and a bit of warmth and patience were enough to change the entire trajectory for a mum and her newborn son, keeping a family together that might otherwise have been separated.
*Name changed to protect identity.
Our short film, 18 Isn’t Cheaper, brings together lived experience, academic research and policy insight to show why the Universal Credit system leaves care leavers aged 18 to 24 at a significant disadvantage.
Hear directly from young people, their hosts and the professionals supporting them.
