A HOMELESS charity is urging Croydon residents to open up their spare bedrooms to provide shelter and support for street-living youngsters.
Croydon has one of the highest numbers of young homeless people in London – more than 250 16 to 24-year-olds were accepted as homeless and needing support between 2011 and 2012.
Centrepoint has launched its Supported Lodgings Scheme, to ask households to take in a homeless youngster and provide them with a family environment and learn life skills vital to independent living, such as cooking and cleaning, which are normally passed on by a family member.
Sky Aimez-mo, 17, who is currently staying at a Centrepoint hostel, has helped devise the scheme.
"Young people need options, it helps empower them," he said. "If I'd had the choice of staying in supported lodgings I'd have probably gone for it. I was used to living in a home."
Placements would last between three months and two years – in that time, the host would receive £50 a week to cover household costs and Local Housing Allowance for a single room in their area, as well as support from Centrepoint.
For more information or to register, visit www.centrepoint. org.uk/supportedlodging