Urgent Call For New Hosts
Our Urgent Call For New Hosts To House Yorkshire’s Hidden Homeless Young People
SASH are looking for members of the public across North and East Yorkshire to become hosts, welcoming local young people at risk of homelessness into their homes after many of our current hosts have had to step back due to health concerns throughout the coronavirus pandemic. SASH continued to operate throughout 2020, providing vital safety and stability for young people living in precarious situations who have already faced much disruption and abuse in their young lives. Now facing a 56% drop in the number of available hosts across all areas, SASH is urgently seeking to recruit and train new hosts to continue providing their vital homelessness services.
SASH’s youth homelessness prevention services rely on members of the public, known as hosts, who open up their homes to vulnerable young people declared homeless and referred to SASH from Local Authorities and Housing Associations. SASH hosts come from all walks of life and providing they have a spare room and a genuine desire to help, could provide a lifeline for a local young person with nowhere to stay. Hosts can provide their support for either short-term or longer-term stays, receiving full training and around-the-clock support from their dedicated SASH worker.
All young people seeking SASH’s support receive a Police National Computer check, a thorough risk assessment and COVID-19 health check before being accepted and carefully matched with an available host. Hosts also receive payments to cover all expenses associated with hosting a young person in their homes.
Harrogate based host, David
David, 57, is based in Harrogate and has been hosting for 3 years: “My motivation for [for becoming a host] came partly from the fact that I’ve got a room that lies empty, partly because of my faith as a Christian.” He shared his experiences of hosting during the pandemic: “In the run up to lockdown, things looked bleak, my lodger had just secured a job at a well-known hotel in York, only to be told the job was on hold, with no certainty that there would be one at the end of all this. In different ways lockdown was good for us both as we helped each other through it without really realising that we were. It was a pleasure was to be sharing my home with my lodger, as during the day there was an actual person to talk to, which was really important to me as I live on my own. My lodger now has a job a Morrison’s and is doing very well, his confidence and sense of well-being has increased exponentially during lockdown. The support I get from SASH is very good indeed.”
York hosts Andrew and Ali
Andrew and Ali, both 54, are SASH hosts based in York who have been hosting for nearly two years: “We had thought about being SASH hosts for a while and when we moved to a bigger house, we realised that this was the moment. Sometimes there are challenges but seeing our lodger blossom is amazing. You can’t put a price on it.” Ali explained how the relationship between SASH, the hosts and the young people works: “They support us as hosts as well as guiding the young people. Together we make a difference.”
Scarborough host family – Bear, Yamsin and Tzofiya
Yasmin and her daughters Tzofiya, 8, and Bear, 6, have been hosting young people in their home in Scarborough for two years now. Yasmin explained the motivation behind becoming a SASH host: “We started working with SASH because the truth is that when I was a kid, I would have needed SASH and it wasn’t there then. What I wanted was to make sure no child ever felt like that.” Yasmin went into more detail about her current SASH lodger: “I’m a teacher and mum-of-two, so as you can imagine 2020 was a whirlwind! One evening I suggested to my lodger we get a takeaway because of all the marking I’d yet to do. My SASH lodger told me not to worry and she prepared a delicious healthy meal for all the family instead. This young woman is awesome and watching her blossom is a privilege. Don’t get me wrong, our house is not perfect – there’s plenty of shouting! But my lodger says she doesn’t hear any of that – to her the house feels happy and she knows that she is finally safe.”
Yasmin’s two children also enjoy being part of a SASH host family. When asked what her favourite hosting moment was, 8-year-old Tzofiya said: “There are so many I can’t think of just one!”. Yasmin went on to explain about the support she receives from her dedicated SASH workers: “I feel reassured because there’s always someone on hand to support at the end of the phone should I need it.”
To find out more about hosting for SASH, follow the link and fill in the short form to receive a call back from a local Host Coordinator with more information on the role. Alternatively, give SASH a call on 01904 652 043.
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
Contact: For more information, please contact Thea Burden (Communications Co-ordinator at SASH) on thea.burden@sash-uk.org.uk
About SASH (Safe And Sound Homes)
- SASH works to prevent youth homelessness across North and East Yorkshire
- SASH provides an emergency accommodation placement service called Nightstop, where young people are placed with volunteer hosts for up to two weeks.
- SASH also provides a longer-term placement service, Supported Lodgings, with volunteer hosts for young people who cannot return home and cannot yet live independently.
- Ordinary citizens who are concerned about young people and homelessness apply to SASH to become hosts – they are assessed, DBS checked, trained and our Host Coordinators support them.
- The young people we work with are often vulnerable. SASH’s Young People’s Co-ordinators support them through their placement. Loneliness, poor mental health and self-esteem are all issues which can affect young people who’ve faced homelessness. Our SASH Active programme connects young people helped by our services through residential trips, valuable life-skills workshops as well as other enriching experiences.
- All young people SASH works with are referred through councils and other local organisations after presenting as homeless.
