Fresh name for new youth housing service

A new youth housing service in development by United Welsh has been officially named as Tai Ffres.

Welsh for ‘Fresh Housing’, Tai Ffres is being developed with Welsh Government Innovation Funding to provide high quality, affordable homes for young people aged 16 – 25.

The brand name for Tai Ffres was inspired by its mission to take a fresh approach to ending youth homelessness and involving young people in every aspect of service delivery.

Tai Ffres will work in partnership with homelessness charity and young people’s specialists Llamau.  Llamau will provide the mentorship and the kind of support that young people request.

With Tai Ffres, young people will:

• Live in genuinely affordable, quality homes with standards set by young people
• Move to connected communities where they can thrive
• Choose who they live with; young couples and parents are welcome
• Receive support from the first point of contact, if they want it
• Lead their support, based on their strengths and the goals they set
• Fulfil their potential with opportunities for education and employment

Lynda Sagona, Group Chief Executive of United Welsh, said:

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Llamau to develop this new service and share the vision for Tai Ffres with our partners in the sector.

“All young people must have a safe, secure and affordable home, with support if they need it, to enable them to flourish and achieve their potential.

“If we are to end youth homelessness in Wales, we must listen to the experiences of young people and understand their needs. Tai Ffres is committed to putting their needs first.

“By providing high quality homes and support that is focused on personal choice and independence, we can prevent homelessness and give young people the best possible start.”

Frances Beecher, Chief Executive of Llamau and Chair of End Youth Homelessness Cymru, said:

“Everyone has a right to a safe and stable home, and too many young people in Wales have found themselves without one, having been let down by a system which should be helping them.

We are thrilled to be working in partnership with United Welsh on the development of Tai Ffres, making sure that every young person is given a home which provides them with the platform they need to build an independent future. Equally important to building that future is being able to choose the right support at the right time – this partnership seeks to achieve that.

Llamau has a long history of putting the needs of young people first and we are so pleased to be part of this project which listens and responds to young people’s experiences.”

In September 2020, a Project Board and Youth Board were appointed to help shape the strategic direction of Tai Ffres.

Click here for more information about the service.