Young homeless people offered lifeline with new flats in Perth

EveryYouth’s Future Builders programme provides rent at just £318 per month for young people in work, education and training so they don’t have to access benefits.

Jacob had to leave his foster family in Scotland after the relationship became strained. He had been living with different foster families for years, but his social worker suggested it was time to move on. Because Jacob was a student, there weren’t many options for him.

“I had a good experience with the foster family,” Jacob said. “I’m still grateful for them and I’m still in touch with them. But it was getting awkward because I had to make music in the house - I was studying sound production - and this would disturb them.”

There was no way he could save enough money for a rent deposit, let alone cover the average monthly rent in Perth at £733, and young people can be waiting up to four years for social housing to become available in Scotland. Jacob says he would have been forced into homelessness had EveryYouth’s Future Builders programme not been offered to him.

Delivered in Scotland by youth homelessness charity the Rock Trust, EveryYouth’s national Future Builders programme offers supported living for young people in work, education or training at an affordable rent so they can pursue a career without needing to access state benefits. In partnership with local authorities, housing associations, and private landlords, the programme secures long-term leases on underused properties, refurbished with support from foundations and businesses.

While living at the Future Builders homes, young people can receive support on how to set up and sustain a home. They can access financial advice and budgeting support, plus funds for rental deposits when they are ready to move on. The Rock Trust also provides education, training, and job-hunting support such as helping to write CVs and job applications. Help with life skills, wellbeing, and everyday tasks such as cooking and managing a household are also on offer.

As an EveryYouth Delivery Partner, Rock Trust operates 16 bedspaces in Perth as part of the Future Builders programme and many more across Scotland. All 16 flats are Perth and Kinross Council properties. Three of these flats have been given a much-needed facelift thanks to vital funding from the B&Q Foundation. Jacob lives in the accommodation in Perth where rent is set at £318 per month, which is 75% of the local housing allowance. He is studying and working part time at a petrol station.

Jacob said: “It gave me my freedom to do whatever I wanted. It was my first time living by myself. I figured out how to cook, to manage my finances and pay my bills. I’m now studying computer science. I’m in my third and final year and will be finishing in early June. I’m looking for an apprenticeship and then hope to get a job in cyber security -
that’s my plan from now. I’m really thankful for the Rock Trust. They have helped me so much.”

The extra beds for young people come at a critical time. The number of households living in temporary accommodation and the number or rough sleepers have reached record highs in Scotland. Young people continue to be disproportionately affected. Year on year, statistics show that young people account for a quarter of all homeless applications, despite accounting for only 13% of the Scottish population.

Rock Trust property and facility coordinator James Boyle said: “With homelessness figures at a record high, our Future Builders homes make a real difference by turning empty flats into affordable homes for young people. Alongside a safe place to live, we provide training, education and life-skills support, helping them avoid homelessness in the long term and move towards real independence.”

B&Q foundation manager Jeannie Pitt said: “We’re really proud at the B&Q Foundation to fund projects like this, and support EveryYouth’s Future Builders programme. It has been amazing to see the finished flats. They look so amazing and I can’t believe the transformation. I bet the young people are really, really excited to move in.”

EveryYouth CEO Nicholas Connolly added: “We’re delighted to see the life-changing impact of our Future Builders programme but we urgently need access to more homes and funding so we can support a growing backlog of young people who desperately need a place to stay - that doesn’t come at a cost to their future. We urge organisations with empty homes and funders to get in touch. Future Builders is more than accommodation, it’s a firm foundation for young people to build their potential.”

EveryYouth’s Future Builders programme operates in Bristol, East Anglia, Sheffield and Scotland. With backing from John Laing Charitable Trust and the B&Q Foundation, the EveryYouth Network expanded Future Builders by nearly 22% in 2024, creating 10 new bedspaces.

Forty-two young people moved into Future Builders homes and 28 gained professional experience for the first time. Of those who moved on, 89% sustained employment for at least six months, showing the transformative impact of stable accommodation. Of those young people who moved on from Future Builders, 70% went on to independent living and 29 young people saved money for the first time.