The Plight of a Homeless Young Man

lynzpower

You might be as well to help him find a bedsit maybe close by where you live, that will accept housing benefit. IM sure if he has no income and will get eg jsa, then he could get a bedsit with your support. Shelter will know of schemes where he can borrow the deposit for a place too ( ie charities not loans )

geekgirl

Have a look here http://england.shelter.org.uk/home/index.cfm all the info you need is there. They also have a phone number where you can talk to someone about a specific question as well.

windswept

Why not try and find out what future he would like for himself?
I know it isn't for everyone, but has he considered joining the army/navy/airforce?
I knew someone who had nowhere to go and it was the best thing he coud have done, he stayed in the army for 18 years.
It could be the new start he needs. He could at least go to the forces' careers centre and find out if anything appeals to him, there are hundreds of possible careers open to him.

tesuhoha

Thanks. There are a lot of useful suggestions there that I will act on if he doesnt get offered this bedsit that he wants. Its not that far from us Lynz.

terryw

tesuhoha wrote: »

Thanks. There are a lot of useful suggestions there that I will act on if he doesnt get offered this bedsit that he wants. Its not that far from us Lynz.

Are you sure that the young man moving into a bedsit is the best way forward? Ok he will get his JSA and HB will pay the rent, but this could be the beginning of a very slippery slope. The bedsit could well just become a meeting place for his poker buddies, and he will find that obtaining paid employment in a low-level job will make him no better off if he then has to pay rent and council tax and the other "passport benefits". He is not heavily into drinking or drugs at all at present, but living amongst others in bedsits could rapidly change this.

More than anything he needs some aim in life be it a job or a training course.
The brother is miffed at the moment but if the young man were to show some effort, the brother could well change his mind about him living there.
I know the parents are not around but they really can't just wipe their hands of this young man. Someone needs to let the parents know. I agree with you that the brother is not an ogre.....expecting the young man to chip in for his keep and care of the house is a very sensible point of view.

Really hope that something works out.......you do not need these problems yourself.

mary43

I do hope something gets sorted for this young man. I knew of a homeless lad in our town a year ago. He ended up living in a tent and then was constantly moved on from who evers field he was pitched up in. We gave him extra duvet covers and hot meals whenever we could. Sadly our local council had nowhere for him - he tried one of the Foyers out of town but due to previous offences some years previous they refused him. Needless to say he went downhill and is now in prison.

I look after teenagers in care of the local authority and many of them leaveus with nowhere to go.........all that can be offered is a hostel/foyer (providing there's room) or b & b. and at 18 they're lucky if a private landlord will let them hold a lease just after their 18th birthday.
Councils seem to vary in different areas........some manage to get a single persons flat but for many they just aren't available.
YMCA used to be very good at taking in homeless people but not sure now whether they need references and interviews beforehand - Foyers are a good source too particularly as this young man has no offending history.
As has been mentioned Connexions and Shelter could be a useful source.
I wish you luck with this young man and hope all goes well for him.

tesuhoha

geekgirl wrote: »

Have a look here http://england.shelter.org.uk/home/index.cfm all the info you need is there. They also have a phone number where you can talk to someone about a specific question as well.

That Shelter website is very informative. I feel that I can help him now if he needs it.

tesuhoha

Yes, I am concerned about him. My son has said that he wants a job but cannot find one. He has been asking about labouring on the building site where my OH is working but there is nothing at present. In the future he may be able to come up with some casual plumbing work for him, guttering etc but unless he is very skilled and can make them money, the contractors are not interested in taking on apprentices. There are part-time cleaningjobs around and I think he's done things like that but he wants full time. There are a lot of foreign workers here who take all the fruitpicking and cleaning jobs, so there truly isnt a lot around. I am waiting for the opportunity of talking to him but havent seen him yet.

mary43

If he can't get any full time work I'd suggest to him that maybe two part time jobs would do for the time being. It's what my son did when he'd moved away, left college and couldn't find full time work. Two part time jobs -one cleaning in the morning, the other asst. caretaker in the afternoon gave him sufficient money to share a flat with a friend and at least proved to any future employers that he was prepared to work

Mrs_Thrify

HelloTesuhoha,this has happened to me a couple of times with sons teen friends.I have even had my son named as a place of safety and the the police knocking on the door @ 1-2am.On theese occasions I have had a boy staying for upto a week. Luckly for the boy my son had a futon( with high bunk in his room (8ft x 9ft) box room. After a few days when emotions calm down they return home. I think this boy you talk about will return to stay with his brother - they need each other, it is just thoose emotions that get in the way!