Croydon Launches House Project for Care Leavers, Croydon 2026

Key Points

• New Pilot Programme: Croydon Council has partnered with the National House Project to establish the Croydon House Project, a two-year initiative aimed at guiding care-experienced young people towards independent living.
• Targeted Cohort: The project officially launched on Tuesday, 27 October, welcoming an initial group of 12 care-experienced young people from diverse care settings.
• Comprehensive Practical Training: Participants will receive practical instruction in crucial life skills, including financial budgeting, cooking, home management, and understanding tenancy obligations.
• Guaranteed Housing: Young people who complete the training will be provided with secure housing alongside continued support to help them maintain long-term tenancies.
• Co-Designed Model: The initiative was developed collaboratively by council staff and Young Ambassadors with direct lived experience of the care system, before receiving approval from the Corporate Parenting Board.
• Financial Sustainability: While initial funding covers the launch, the dedicated team running the programme expects the scheme to become self-funded after its first year, reducing long-term public expenditure.

Croydon Council (South London News) October 29, 2026 – Croydon Council has officially joined the National House Project to launch a dedicated local scheme designed to give care-experienced young people a structured and supported transition into independent adulthood. The initiative, known as the Croydon House Project, launched on Tuesday, 27 October, with 12 care leavers taking part as the pioneer cohort. The two-year pilot project addresses the abrupt challenges young people often face when leaving the care system by offering tailored life-skills training, peer mentorship, and a clear pathway to permanent housing.

How Will the Croydon House Project Support Young People Leaving Care?

Young people emerging from care frequently encounter a sudden shift towards full independence at a time when they are simultaneously navigating major life decisions. The Croydon House Project seeks to bridge this critical gap by providing comprehensive practical training and emotional backing. The curriculum covers essential everyday skills, including household budgeting, meal preparation, general property maintenance, and a thorough grounding in tenancy rights and responsibilities.

Beyond practical instruction, the project focuses on boosting emotional wellbeing, improving housing stability, and expanding access to education, employment, and training opportunities. Upon successful completion of the learning modules, participants are offered their own homes alongside sustained tenancy support to ensure long-term stability.

Who Was Involved in Developing the Croydon House Project?

The scheme aligns with Executive Mayor Jason Perry’s ongoing commitment to support local youth and foster long-term community resilience. The design of the project was not created in isolation; council officers worked side-by-side with Young Ambassadors who possess direct lived experience within the care system.

Following its co-design stage, the initiative was presented to and formally approved by Croydon’s Corporate Parenting Board. This board—comprising elected councillors, council officers, and young people—provides governance, advice, and strategic direction on matters impacting children in care and care leavers across the borough.

As highlighted by Nahum Harrison, a Young Ambassador who played a role in shaping the original proposal,

“It has been amazing working with House Project alongside the council to help achieve this new step that we have taken to help young people in our current accommodation dilemma. I agree that this is something we needed in Croydon and I have been happy to offer as much as I could to the service.”

What Are Participants and Leadership Saying About the Launch?

The first cohort of 12 young individuals began their journey on 27 October. Participants have shared encouraging feedback regarding the social and practical benefits of the environment provided by the project.

Jay Warren-Smith, a care leaver enrolled in the initiative, remarked that

“The Croydon House Project has made me feel included and is great for developing social skills, financial skills and many others. It’s great to be involved as in the long run it will help build important connections and help develop necessary skills I’ll need.”

Expressing a similar sentiment, participant Kyra Charles noted that

“The Croydon House Project is helping me develop within myself, and they help engage with people who have been through similar things as myself and knowing I’m not alone in this new beginning.”

Leadership from both the national organisation and local government emphasised the collaborative significance of the scheme. Mark Warr, Chief Executive of the National House Project, stated that

‘‘We are delighted to welcome Croydon as a new Local House Project. Together we will codevelop an approach to support young people leaving care to build a home, lasting relationships, a sense of belonging and the foundations for a positive future.”

Executive Mayor of Croydon Jason Perry underlined the broader duty to support care leavers, stating that

“Every young person deserves the opportunity to build a bright future, and that is especially important for those leaving care as they take their first steps into adulthood.”

Mayor Perry added that

“The Croydon House Project will help young people develop the skills and confidence they need to live independently, whilst providing a clear route into a stable home and ongoing support. I am proud that Croydon has joined this innovative national programme. By investing in our young people today, we are helping them achieve their ambitions and reach their full potential.”

How Is the Scheme Financed and Structured for the Future?

The Croydon House Project is staffed by a dedicated internal operational team. Although launching as a council-backed pilot, the programme is structured with a strategic financial model intended to make it entirely self-funded after its first year of operation.

This framework fits within the council’s wider strategy of early intervention. By offering targeted, preventive support at an early stage, the local authority aims to help young citizens thrive while simultaneously curbing reliance on high-cost emergency social services down the line, ensuring efficient utilization of public funds. Crucially, participants in the pilot will retain an ongoing voice in steering the project, enabling future iterations to adapt to evolving local needs.

Background to the Croydon House Project Development

Care-experienced young people across the United Kingdom historically face significantly higher risks of homelessness, unemployment, and mental health challenges compared to their peers. Standard transitions out of local authority care often involve abrupt shifts into independent living at age 18, frequently without the safety nets or family guidance available to other young adults.

The National House Project was established to reform this transition by introducing a values-based framework centred around peer-support groups, sustained relationships, and tenancy empowerment. Under this model, young people work together as a cohesive group to build independent living skills before moving into tenancies offered by partner housing providers or local councils.

Croydon Council’s adoption of the framework comes during a period of ongoing structural and financial reform within the borough. Prioritising early intervention strategies through body partnerships like the Corporate Parenting Board reflects a shift towards preventive social care, seeking to mitigate systemic social challenges through sustainable, community-anchored projects.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Care-Experienced Youth and Local Services

The implementation of the Croydon House Project stands to create measurable, long-term impacts across several key stakeholder groups:

1. Direct Impact on Care-Experienced Young People

For care leavers in Croydon, the scheme fundamentally alters the transition into adulthood from an isolated event into a gradual, supported journey. By embedding life skills such as tenancy management and budgeting directly into the accommodation process, participants are far more likely to retain their tenancies long-term. This structure directly reduces the risk of youth homelessness, lowers social isolation through peer-led networks, and provides a stable foundation from which young people can pursue higher education, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities.

2. Impact on Council Finances and Social Services

For Croydon Council and local taxpayers, the self-funding financial model offers a sustainable approach to social care delivery. Successful early interventions drastically decrease future public expenditure related to emergency housing placements, temporary accommodation, acute mental health services, and criminal justice interventions. If the pilot demonstrates measurable success over its initial two years, it may serve as a blueprint for other London boroughs seeking cost-effective, high-impact youth services.