19-year-old Mike* found himself homeless on Christmas Eve. He had fallen out with his mum and she asked him to leave the family home. He was left with nowhere to go and with no other family nearby to support him.

Mike contacted our Youth AIMS free advice service, presenting himself as street homeless and in need of immediate help. The Youth AIMS team and Foyer staff quickly identified Step by Step’s new Supported Independence Flats as the ideal solution.

Supported Independence Flats is an accommodation service available for young people who would not usually be entitled to statutory support. The aim is to target those young people who would otherwise fall through the gaps in provision. Supported Independence Flats not only provide a safe and stable place to live, but provide support from STEP Workers with a focus on enabling a young person to get into work or education and to move on to independent living.

Mike was assessed by the team and was offered a place within an hour of arriving; he went from homeless to housed in just 60 minutes.

Mike moved into Step by Step on Christmas Eve afternoon. On Christmas morning, he was given a stocking that the Foyer team had made up for him, and joined other young people for Christmas dinner. Mike happily joined in, thanking the staff for working so quickly to help him and for making him feel so welcome.

If not for Step by Step’s Supported Independence Flats, Mike would have had very few options available to him. At best, he would have spent Christmas alone in a B&B or sleeping on a friend’s sofa.

Click here for more information on Supported Independence Flats, including how to get help.

*Name changed to respect privacy.