Type of Activity:
❑ Mentoring
x Peer Mentoring
❑ Workshop
Relevant pillar: 9. Housing:
Relevant competence(s):
Learning to Learn
Transversal Elements
Social & Civic
Communication
Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship
Duration: 3h
The objective of this activity is to present a housing guide by providing success examples to care leavers children concerning housing.
Accommodation options should be discussed with the care leaver well before the date they are due to leave care, and every attempt should be made to find accommodation in advance of that date. The peer support ideally should be an ex-ageing out child with a success story in housing stability.
The activity has a strong participatory element as it invites the children in care to participate in its unique framework and design. With the use of this peer support sessions, the activity aims to expose children to successful role-models and pathways related to safe and stable housing.
- develop a personalised housing guide that will support the search, finding and maintaining a safe and stable house.
- understanding of housing impact from other successful stories and peer support
Housing instability and homelessness are significant challenges faced by youth in state care when ageing out. Children in care may not understand the impact that housing will have on their ability to achieve both their short and long-term goals. They also may not understand how expensive housing can be or how much work maintaining a house requires. The Leaving Care Professionals should support them understand the connection between housing and the other areas of their lives, and help them find a safe, stable, affordable living arrangement that would increase their autonomous living style. The high costs of temporary accommodation can make it problematic for working to be worthwhile financially, trapping careleavers in unemployment, which is strongly associated with poverty and reduced life chances.
Numerous studies have found that peer relationships are also crucial sources of emotional support for youth who are facing the risk of homelessness (Garrett et al 2008) and for emancipated youth in particular. Peers (who may also be former careleavers) can support and alleviate feelings of alienation common among youth who lack family support and may provide useful information that leads to critical resources or support services (Perez, 2010).
- The careleavers do not have the knowledge on housing and feel overwhelmed by this new responsibility
- the absence at certain time for positive role models in housing.
- Create space for debate and questions, promoting awareness to alternative paths to housing when ageing out. Encourage to share their concerns if they do not feel they have any knowledge.
- Involving positive role models from the semi-independent framework is possible.
Implementation Steps
Background: The exercise will be developed with ageing-out children in the context of their institution.
- Ice Breaker (15min or depending on the size of the group): M&M presentation
a. Materials: big bag of M&M’s
b. Directions: Grab a small handful of M&Ms (as many as you like). Then, after everyone has taken as many as they like, and before they can eat them, they must share a fact about the way they envision the dream house. Try to see what they perceive as a priority to have a dream house and if needed, (re)direct the discussion in terms of safety, stability, cleanliness and roommates.
Discussion: When choosing a living arrangement, a child in care should think about the answers on 3 important elements:
- Where is my support system? Housing and my support system will direct the area where I would like to live in. Open a discussion about their support system, their permanent relationships, and if transportation is nearby so they can get to work or school. Some neighbourhoods are more expensive to live in but, if important support services or people who help them are nearby or transportation to school and work costs less, they may want to pay the extra money if these benefits are there to minimize the risks of losing the accommodation.
- How much money do I have? Young people need to save money before leaving the care system (please see the Financial and money management Pillar activities). Understanding that moving into an apartment or room has upfront costs, such as a security deposit, fees for turning on utilities and buying basic furnishings.
- How well can I take care of myself? Do they realize the responsibilities they will be assuming, from washing dishes to doing the laundry and making sure they have the supplies they need? When sharing a room or a house how to deal with roommates and keeping the private and common places clean.
2. Exercise 1 – Star Goals (1h15min)
a) Materials: Worksheets (Annex 1 and 2) Writing utensils; Coloured pencils
b) Directions: 1. First pass out the Star Goals worksheet (Annex 1). This worksheet is intended to help mentees brainstorm goals. Mentees should write down a goal related to housing in each one of the stars, but do not need to explain the goal just yet. Once they are done writing their goals for each category, they will have to draw a picture outside of the star that has to do with the goal to give them a visual representation of their goal. 2. Next, pass out the Star Goals Questions worksheet (Annex 2). This worksheet will have questions regarding the goals they just made for themselves. Have mentees answer the questions, offering them help if they need it. After they finish, discuss their answers, and how important goals are and how goals are linked to their specific time frame until moving into their new house.
Exercise 2 – Housing Success Story (1h)
a) Directions: The peer successful care leaver should tell his personal success story in an interactive style, allowing the participants to ask questions. An alternative could be also involving previous care leavers that were involved in the semi-independent care system.
b) Objective: discuss and create alternative pathways to different housing stories that will take into consideration the cultural, social, emotional and personality characteristics of each case.
Remember!!!
- Discuss with the children in care that the first place they live after state care may not be the home of their dreams; when they first age out, they may only have enough money for a rented room but after working for awhile, they may be able to pay for an apartment of their own.
- Discuss with children in care local housing support from NGOs and governmental organisations.