Alone and at rock bottom, Josh had nowhere to go. He was 22-years-old and homeless.

“Since I was 13, I was bouncing back and forth between my mum and dad’s place. Sometimes it felt confusing. I moved in with my girlfriend when I was 18 but when we split up, I had nowhere to go. I was homeless, sleeping rough, and ‘sofa surfing’.

When you’re homeless, some people judge you. They don’t see you as an individual. Just one night sleeping outside is scary, you never know where you’re going to be tomorrow, where you’ll end up, what will happen. There’s a stigma on homeless people. But if you put yourself in someone else’s shoes you realise that sometimes bad things just happen to normal people.

When I was chosen to live in one of the flats which Habitat for Humanity built, I couldn’t wait to move in. I have my own space now and the affordable rent here is helping me save up for my own place. I want to find a job in music – I don’t need to be rich, just earn enough to make a living – and this place is helping me to gain the confidence to stand on my own two feet.

We all have to put our hands up and ask for help sometimes. Life is starting to get better now, things are getting back on track. I feel better in myself and I’m going to work my way up in the world and get back what I’ve lost”

Josh’s story, is an example of just how easily any of us can fall on hard times as a result of misfortune. There are many more young people like Josh who desperately need our help in Britain.

Our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to call home is particularly poignant for young people leaving care in Britain. It is estimated that very year around 10,000 16- to 18-year-olds leave foster or residential care in England. Having been shuttled from one home to another during their childhood, the sense of security which comes with a home has never been their reality.

What’s more care leavers are forced to be independent much younger than their peers. At this early age, the prospect of finding employment, paying rent and other bills, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle without the support network and safety net of a family can be a daunting prospect.

HFHGB, in partnership with Barking and Dagenham council has launched the second phase of a successful pilot programme to refurbish and renovate council owned vacant and disused properties. This will deliver supported affordable accommodation for young care leavers, a group identified as particularly vulnerable to experiencing homelessness.

We believe that these empty spaces can be put to use to have a life-changing impact on young people who find themselves homeless.

The impact of domestic abuse on the victim is long lasting with significant psychological consequences.  Victims live in fear, face high levels of stress, and are at high risk for mental health issues  such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, 40% of homeless women state domestic violence as a contributor in their homelessness.

Appropriate support is critical for the lives and well being of the victims. That includes a safe space, like Claudia Jones Organisation, that can strengthen the women’s resilience and independence and provide appropriate one-to-one emotional and practical support.

Since xxx we have formed a partnership with the Claudia Jones Organisation, a charity that provides practical and emotional assistance to empower women and families in the London Borough of Hackney and neighbouring areas. 

The premises of Claudia Jones are at the moment in urgent need of renovations and repairs. We aim to act as a catalyst to galvanise funding and deliver renovations that will make the space welcoming and able to serve even more women to rebuild their lives, free from violence and fear.