This young person from Liverpool went from being homeless to securing a place at university thanks to Local Solutions

As part of National Homeless Awareness Week, Local Solutions is shining a light on a young person from Liverpool who was previously homeless and has now secured a place at university.

According to Centre Point, 122,000 young people aged 16-24 were homeless or at risk of homelessness in the UK during 2020/2021.

This follows a 40 per cent increase in youth homelessness over the previous five years.

However, Local Solutions – which launched back in 1974 and works with tens of thousands of people across the Liverpool City Region and North Wales – is continuing to help young people most in need and get their lives back on track.

Local Solutions carry out support and accommodation work through a service called Homeground, which provides a safe place to live for young people. Their Young People’s supported accommodation on Scotland Road provides essential support to 16-21 year olds experiencing homelessness and other challenges, including family breakdown, leaving care, criminal exploitation and addiction issues. Each young person at the supported accommodation for Young People is supported to gain the skills they need to access stable accommodation and to get into education and employment.

Anhaf was 20 years old when he was placed at Homeground. Prior to this life was tough, the COVID pandemic had hit and Anhaf was in the midst of a family breakdown and conflicts at home. Anhaf left home and was referred to Local Solutions for accommodation support.

Anhaf commented: “I lived at Homeground for two years. It has been challenging, but with the patience, advice and support of Homeground staff, I knew that it was important for me to have a goal and to work towards it.”

During his time at Homeground, Anhaf studied Business Studies, Psychology and Art and The City of Liverpool College. The support he received from Homeground helped him get through some difficult periods and keep him on track with his studies.

After successfully achieving his A-Levels, Anhaf has moved into student accommodation in London and has started a degree in Business Management and Human Resources at the University of Westminster.

“The support from Local Solutions has really left a mark on my life and I can only thank everyone who helped me when I was at Homeground.”