Supported Lodgings and Fostering Christmas Afternoon Tea, Basingstoke
3 December 2026
News
Step by Step is marking National Supported Lodgings Week 2026, celebrating Supported Lodgings hosts and encouraging more people to open their homes to young people who need a safe place to live.
The official week runs from 16th to 22nd November, but we're kicking things off from 7th November, with stalls in the community and sharing host stories across social media.
Organised by Host the Future, National Supported Lodgings Week is now in it's second year. It brings together Supported Lodgings schemes from across the UK around a simple idea: a spare room and a bit of your time can help a young person build an independent life.
Hosts offer a safe home and around an hour of support a day, whether that's sharing a meal, helping with a budget or talking through a college application.
As the UK's leading provider of Supported Lodgings, Step by Step matched 178 young people with hosts in 2025/26, and 76% of them made positive progress.
But the need is growing. Across the UK, 123,934 young people faced homelessness in 2024/25 (Centrepoint), and we need more hosts in our communities so every young person looking for a safe home can find one.
That's why National Supported Lodgings Week is important to us. One week isn't enough to reach every community we work in, so we're starting early, with stalls at markets, shopping centres and Christmas fairs across the south of England. We're also inviting everyone to take on our Stacked Against You challenge, which uses building blocks to show the real barriers young people face when finding a home.
Whether you open your spare room, learn more about this life-changing service, or help spread the word, there are plenty of ways to get involved this National Supported Lodgings Week.
Join us in celebrating National Supported Lodgings Week and find out how you can make a difference. We'll be out in the community, sharing content and inviting you to take on our Stacked Against You Challenge.
