Having been encouraged by the Department for Education (DfE) to research the costs of accommodating young people in supported lodgings, today we're pleased to share the result of that work in our new report, Behind Every Door: The Cost of Placing Young People in Supported Lodgings.
Supported lodgings is a provision for young people aged 16 and over, offering them the opportunity to live in the home of a host. This could be an individual, a couple or a family. It's a unique provision designed to help young people prepare for adulthood with the right balance of guidance and autonomy. It's often used for care leavers, separated and migrant children, or young people at risk of homelessness.
While this isn’t the kind of report we usually publish, it reflects something we care deeply about: how to ensure young people are safe, supported, and given a real chance to thrive. And as the report shows, supported lodgings can do just that – but only if it’s properly understood and funded.
The research was rooted in real-world experience. We received survey responses from 39 supported lodgings providers and conducted six detailed interviews with scheme leads from across the country. We worked closely with the DfE at every stage, hoping to equip them with the evidence they need to make a compelling "spend to save" case for supporting this form of accommodation.
One of the key findings from this research confirms our long-held view that supported lodgings placements remain significantly more cost-effective than residential care or semi-independent units, while offering strong relational support and positive outcomes.
This reinforces what many in the sector have known intuitively for years, that with the right investment, supported lodgings can deliver both value for money and life-changing support for young people as they transition into adulthood.
But it’s not all good news. The report highlights some structural challenges, including reliance on Housing Benefit and Universal Credit, inconsistent commissioning frameworks, and a general lack of public awareness. That’s why we’re calling for national guidance, tiered funding models, better commissioning practice, and investment in host recruitment and retention.
We know that for most of our supporters, supported lodgings may not be overly familiar. But we wanted to share this work with you because it speaks to our role as sector leaders, helping to create the conditions in which more young people can be cared for well, with stability, dignity, and the chance to flourish.
You can download the full report here:
As always, thank you for standing with us as we hope for a society where no family feels alone, and every child has a home where they can flourish.
