Your Next Move

In response to a chronic lack of affordable housing for young people in Milton Keynes YMCA is excited to launch ‘Your Next Move’; quality, affordable homes for local young people who are ready to move on from the YMCA MK campus.

Your Next Move represents an innovative approach to addressing the UK’s housing crisis, specifically the shortage of social, affordable accommodation, by providing 38 brand-new homes for young people who have experienced homelessness but have subsequently been supported by YMCA to develop independent living skills and who are now in sustained employment.

These homes have been acquired by the Schroders Capital UK Real Estate Impact Fund (SCHREIF). The homes will be contracted to YMCA Milton Keynes, launching a landmark partnership and enabling YMCA MK to provide its residents with secure, affordable housing, as a final stepping stone out of homelessness and into the private housing sector.

Additional funding from UK’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (sponsor of Homes England) and support from MK City Council and Amplius (previously Grand Union Housing) also helped to bring this ambitious project to life.

Your Next Move will support young people like Musa, who was forced to leave the family home and spent time sleeping in a tent and sofa surfing. With support from YMCA MK Musa now works full time and is studying for a degree. He has ambitions to become a teacher and is grateful to the YMCA for the home and community he has found. He is excited to be one of the first young people to move into a Whitehouse property and is looking forward to the space and independence the properties will give him.

Your Next Move is the first step in YMCA MK’s ambitious plans to have quality and affordable move-on properties for communities across Milton Keynes, to begin to address the current housing crisis.   

Simon Green, CEO YMCA MK said:

We all need a safe place to call home. This project will revolutionise the way we are able to support our residents into independence and is a clear indication that the housing crisis is being taken seriously. We are proud to be leading the way in this regard. Whilst we are delighted and proud to launch this project we are not complacent and have ambitious plans to ensure all young people have a safe place to call home, people they can trust and support to fulfil their potential.