Making Home

Young people’s housing needs are not being met by the current system.

This is particularly true in Manchester. The RSA and OneManchester worked together to run a series of local workshops and a national survey to explore the housing challenges Manchester’s young people face.

Overview of recommendations

1. Government and Greater Manchester Combined Authority need to negotiate a special Housing Affordability Deal to allow Greater Manchester the powers and resources needed to address its affordability crisis.

2. Housing associations should consider a model of Escalator Ownership – where young people rent at a reduced rate in order to save, eventually buying a proportion of the home they live in from a housing association – as a more flexible Rent to Buy option.

3. Local housing associations, in collaboration with Manchester City Council, should create and identify a network of community lettings agencies – not-for-profit agencies, run according to a set of locally-agreed standards.

4. Housing associations and their partners should work with government to explore new ‘minimum standards’ for mortgage providers and private landlords when running checks on prospective buyers and residents to account for young people working in flexible employment and make sure poor credit doesn’t lock you out of housing.

5. To improve young people’s sense of belonging in their local area, Manchester City Council needs to include a minimum standard for access to private outside space in new developments, reinvigorate its approach to community engagement in housing issues and embed participation in the Our Manchester strategy.

6. Housing associations should partner with local schools and colleges to provide talks and materials on housing options to ensure young people in Manchester have a minimum understanding of the housing market when they first look to live independently.