Why We Exist
Our homelessness charity has been supporting young people in County Durham for over 30 years and now the need is even greater than ever.
The charity tackling youth homelessness in County Durham
For more than 30 years, Moving On Durham has supported young people across County Durham who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The pressures facing young people today — rising housing costs, family breakdown, leaving care, exploitation, and unsafe living situations — mean that the need for specialist youth homelessness support is greater than ever.
Homelessness is rarely a choice. It is the outcome of crisis, trauma, and a lack of safe alternatives.
We believe every young person deserves safety, stability, and the opportunity to build a positive future.
Helping Young People Move Out of Homelessness
Each year, we support around 200 vulnerable young people aged 16–25, providing a combination of safe accommodation and tailored one-to-one support. Our aim is simple: to break the cycle of homelessness and help young people build healthy, independent, fulfilling lives.
Our skilled team provides:
- Transitional accommodation that is safe, local and appropriate for each young person
- Individual support focused on wellbeing, confidence and practical life-skills
- Skills development, including budgeting, communication, self-care and resilience
- Support into education, training and employment
- Specialist housing guidance to help young people become tenancy-ready and sustain independence
Every young person’s journey is different. Our role is to help them identify their goals, understand their strengths, and take the steps they need to move forward.
“It was time for me to leave care but I knew that I wasn’t ready to move out into independent living as I had no idea about bills and things. Moving On was the right option for me as I wanted to live on my own and be near my friends. Joanne, my support worker comes and see me each week which is exactly what I need to help me keep on track and help me when things go wrong.”
“It was time for me to leave care but I knew that I wasn’t ready to move out into independent living as I had no idea about bills and things. Moving On was the right option for me as I wanted to live on my own and be near my friends. Joanne, my support worker comes and see me each week which is exactly what I need to help me keep on track and help me when things go wrong.”
Providing Safe, Local Homes
Until now, Moving On Durham has not owned its own housing stock. Instead, we have leased high-quality properties from local landlords in communities across County Durham, ensuring young people can remain close to familiar support networks, friends, and family wherever possible.
This approach has allowed us to provide:
- Safe, well-maintained homes
- Specialist support embedded into accommodation
- Housing that is tailored to young people’s needs and circumstances
- Flexibility to respond quickly to local need
However, the demand for youth accommodation continues to grow.
Our Future Direction: Becoming a Social Housing Provider
To strengthen the long-term stability, affordability, and quality of accommodation for young people, Moving On Durham is now working towards becoming a Registered Provider of social housing.
This strategic step will enable us to:
- Increase the supply of safe, affordable youth accommodation
- Directly own and manage social housing designed for young people
- Improve long-term housing outcomes across County Durham
- Provide greater security for young people transitioning to independence
- Meet national standards for governance, tenant involvement, and service delivery
By expanding from a support-based charity into a social landlord for young people, we are creating a more stable foundation for their future success.
A community effort
We continue to work closely with local partners, families, community groups, and landlords to ensure young people have a safe place to call home.
Landlords and property owners in County Durham remain essential partners in our mission.
If you would like to support young people by providing a property, we welcome enquiries from responsible landlords who share our commitment to youth wellbeing and housing quality.
