A safe and stable home is the foundation of a fresh start. The Forward Trust helps individuals find secure accommodation in the private rented sector, supporting those in recovery from addiction, ex-offenders, and those experiencing homelessness.
This service is for people who:
Need safe and stable housing.
Are receiving benefits or on low income.
Are engaging with local authority housing teams or partner charities.
We are unable to support individuals who are unwilling to engage with substance use support or those who are at immediate risk to themselves.
When you are referred, we’ll conduct an assessment to make sure you meet our criteria.
We’ll then either:
Match you with a suitable property and provide tenancy sustainment support.
Offer housing advice and refer you to one of our partners if we don’t have somewhere right for you.
Remember: if we can’t house you ourselves, we will put you in touch with organisations and local authority teams who may be able to support.
Our Housing Brokers will help with everything from property viewings to guidance on how to sustain your tenancy. We’ll even provide you with a ‘Move in Voucher’ to buy essentials like pots, pans, bedding and towels − to get you started in your new home.
Our service doesn’t stop once you move in. We offer up to 12 months’ tenancy sustainment and mentoring support through volunteers and peers with lived experience of homelessness, addiction, or offending, including regular check-ins by phone or video call.
We’ll also link you with our Forward Connect peer community, and invite you to attend events, meetings and other peer-led activities.
Housing and tenancy support − Understanding your tenancy, managing your home, reporting repairs, maintenance, accessing benefits, paying utilities, budgeting and managing finances, general rights and responsibilities.
Mentoring − Our trained mentors include people with lived experience and may have professional experience in the sector. They will support clients with regular contact and play an important part in helping them to maintain tenancies and move on with their lives.
Education, training, and employment advice − Guidance on finding employment, training, and volunteering opportunities.
Health and wellbeing − Support to access counselling, including mental health and emotional wellbeing support.
Peer support and community connections − Linking you with community groups and activities including our own Forward Connect peer-led community.
