Practical Housing Help for Young People

Over 200 delegates will gather at a major homelessness conference held by the Scottish Council for Single Homeless (SCSH) in Edinburgh on Thursday and Friday this week.

Delegates from a range of professions – housing, health, youth projects and drug & alcohol projects – will work through a crowded programme to try to make a real difference for homeless people.

On Thursday morning the Conference will see the launch of a new guide, My Space My Place, aimed at reducing homelessness amongst young people in Scotland by providing vital information when young people first secure accommodation. These will be presented to Communities Minister, Malcolm Chisholm MSP by a group of young people who helped develop them (10.30am on Thursday 3 rd November at the Apex International Hotel in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh).

My Space My Place

Every year, thousands of young people in Scotland experience some form of housing crisis. At the most extreme, they may find themselves sleeping on the streets. More often, they move from one temporary arrangement – a friend or relatives couch - to another. You might think that securing a tenancy from the local council or housing association would be the end to these problems.

 In fact, many young people struggle to keep their tenancies going and as many as 33% of tenancies may fail in the first year. There are so many new things to learn: cooking and cleaning, paying the bills, managing the door, getting on with the neighbours and generally keeping their heads together. Many young people find themselves isolated in a new place and struggle to deal with the new challenges. The fact that many tenancies come with only bare floorboards – not a stick of furniture, let alone a basic household goods – only adds to the challenge.

 “.. it can get lonely on your own, There’s no-one to talk to and you have bills to pay that you didn’t when you where at home.” – Jez (17)

 “I was a good student at school who came out with good grades however due to my family moving away I became homeless… moving into supported accommodation I need to claim housing benefit to stay there which means [because of the high rent] I cannot get a well paid full time job.” Ginny (16)

Tenancy sustainment is the housing buzz-phrase for the process of helping people make their tenancies work. It involves providing support and advice to facilitate tenants so that they can develop the everyday skills they need to run their home and get on with the rest of their lives. For young people in particular, tenancy sustainment is a huge challenge.                                                                                                                                  

My Space My Place is a set of magazine-style booklets that come in a modified DVD -carry case. There are ten themed booklets covering a range of topics, chosen by young people, including: setting up your own place, tenants rights, managing money, healthy (and cheap!) eating, feeling safe in your home, physical health, emotional well-being, and education + training + employment. There is also a phone book of useful numbers and the case has additional slots for tenancy agreements, bills, power cards etc.

Matt Elton, Head of SCSH’s Youth Unit, comments:

“The guide is a million miles from the traditional tenants handbook, a document that few young people read and none that we’ve talked to enjoy. Each magazine booklet is filled with pictures, gags, and, most critically, stories from young people about the problems they have faced in their own place. The guide shows young people that they are not alone in finding independent living a challenge and encourages them to be smarter than the hapless heroes that feature in guide’s cartoon strips.”

Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:

“For many young people managing their own home is completely new, and often daunting, experience. It is crucial that all young people securing tenancies can readily get the advice and information they need. I am delighted to hear that SCSH have involved young people in developing these new booklets as I am sure their input has been invaluable. We are committed to preventing homelessness and this is one more great example of the initiative being taken to reducing homelessness amongst young people.”

1. Scottish Council for Single Homeless (SCSH) is the national membership organisation for individuals and organisations working with homeless people.


2. The event will be held at the Apex International Hotel on Thursday 3 rd and Friday 4 th November. Media representatives are welcome to attend.


3. My Space My Place will be sold directly to housing providers and support services. Each pack costs £12.50 but will be provided free to young people starting out in a new tenancy.


4. In 2004 SCSH, alongside the Scottish Youth Housing Network ran two major consultation events with young people on the theme of Tenancy Sustainment. Their views were documented in the My Space My Place report, published in November 2004. One of the key recommendations of that report was that a youth friendly and youth relevant tenancy sustainment guide should be developed and made widely available to young people starting out in their tenancies. SCSH began this task in November 2004 with a postal questionnaire that identified the themes for the ten magazine booklets. At every stage during the development of the guide young people were consulted: they helped to shape every aspect of the guide: the format, the style of writing, the graphics, the colour schemes, etc. The result is My Space My Place, welcomed by young people and, today, by Malcolm Chisholm, Communities Minister.