Places for People is set to boost its support for young people experiencing homelessness in Salford, with planning permission granted to build six new modular homes for single parent families.
Salford Foyer, run by Places for People, has been offering temporary accommodation for homeless 16–25-year-olds for 27 years and currently has space to support 43 young people.
In February 2024, permission was granted by Salford City Council’s Planning Committee for the development of six new modular homes to be built on the site on Seedley Road which will be available for young single parent families who have become homeless. They will allow people to live independently with their own kitchen space, living area, bathroom and bedroom.
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The properties will be delivered by Agile Homes and will be part funded by money raised through LandAid’s 2024 Sleep Out in Manchester which Places for People is supporting and taking part in. The expected completion date is in November 2024.
Rachel Crownshaw, Group Managing Director for Communities at Places for People, said:
“Salford Foyer is such an important service for young people who have fallen on difficult times, with nowhere to call home, and they just need some help to get back on their feet.
“People coming to Salford Foyer often face complex issues which have led them to become homeless such as leaving care, a family breakdown, financial problems, domestic abuse, unemployment and more. We offer more than a roof over their head; we work closely with them to help tackle the issues they may face and we’re proud to have supported 53 young people over the past two years alone to move on to a permanent home of their own.
“In England, 279,400 people are living in temporary accommodation – most being families – and at Places for People we are dedicated to helping those who have fallen on difficult times and have nowhere to turn. These new modular homes will mean we are now able to expand our offer, providing somewhere for young single parent families to call home and live independently while we support them into somewhere more permanent.”
One of the young people currently living at, and being supported by, Salford Foyer is 18 year-old student James Smith who at the age of 17 was kicked out of home with nowhere to go.
James said:
“When I was 17 I was kicked out of my parents’ home and was struggling with where to live and manage my college studies at the same time.
“I was accepted into Salford Foyer. They are really helpful and supported me to manage my finances and helped me stay on track at college. They have also helped me develop my social skills and health by facilitating football sessions where we get involved with the community. They are currently helping me get my own place and prepare for university.”
Rachel Crownshaw added:
“A lot of people in James’ position would have had to give up on their education to focus on the immediate issue of where they were going to live. Due to his own resilience and hard work and the support of the team at Salford Foyer, he has a brighter future. Everyone should be given a fair chance in life and we’re privileged to have supported young people in Salford with for over 27 years.”
Another Salford Foyer resident, Andrew, who doesn’t wish to be identified, came to the UK as an unaccompanied asylum seeker. He had only been in the UK for a few days and was moved into Salford Foyer in May 2022.
He did not have much confidence in engaging in a conversation due to the language barrier and Andrew felt lonely and isolated when he first moved to Salford Foyer as he did not know anyone in the UK.
However, he made the most of the support offered, this included attending sessions at the Foyer and contact with external services. There have been many first-time experiences for Andrew through the Foyer, including going to the cinema for the first time, watching a theatre show, attending a football match, going to a beat-boxing show and DJ’ing thanks to our partnership with The Lowry Theatre.
Andrew was a keen attendee of Conversation Club which helps young people improve their language skills. We helped him register for college where he is now studying English as a language and has moved into his own flat which he decorated with friends he made at the Foyer.
Claire, who also wishes not to be identified, came to Salford Foyer in March 2023; she was a young single mum in need of accommodation due to her foster placement coming to an end.
She was struggling with managing her money and wanted support to find a local nursery so she could go back to college. Claire took part in all the customer engagement activities at the Foyer from parenting sessions to our social games’ night. Once her child was in nursery, Claire was able to start driving lessons and we put her in touch with Career Connect to help with her college application.
Claire also made great progress with her budgeting skills thanks to support from her support worker and after less than 12 months at Salford Foyer, she was offered her own permanent home and is due to start college in September.
