Twelve young people leaving care joined the Croydon House Project in South Norwood on 27 October, a two-year pilot ending in the offer of a home of their own.
Twelve care-experienced young people became the first group on the Croydon House Project when it launched at South Norwood Community Kitchen on Tuesday 27 October. Those who finish the programme will be offered a home, with support to help them keep it.
The project is a two-year pilot. Croydon Council has joined the National House Project, a national programme for young people moving from care into adult life, to run it (Croydon Council announcement, 28 October 2026).
The first 12 come from a range of care settings, the council said. They will learn budgeting, cooking and how to run a home, and what a tenancy asks of them.
What the people taking part said
Jay Warren-Smith is one of the care leavers on the programme. “The Croydon House Project has made me feel included and is great for developing social skills, financial skills and many others,” Jay said. “It’s great to be involved as in the long run it will help build important connections and help develop necessary skills I’ll need.”
Kyra Charles, also on the programme, said: “The Croydon House Project is helping me develop within myself, and they help me engage with people who have been through similar things as myself and knowing I’m not alone in this new beginning.”
Designed with young people who have been in care
Council staff built the project with Young Ambassadors, young people with their own experience of care. The Corporate Parenting Board then approved it. That board brings councillors, young people and council staff together to advise on issues affecting children in care and care leavers.
Nahum Harrison, one of the Young Ambassadors who helped put the pitch together, said: “It has been amazing working with House Project alongside the council to help achieve this new step that we have taken to help young people in our current accommodation dilemma. I agree that this is something we needed in Croydon and I have been happy to offer as much as I could to the service.”
The young people taking part will also be able to shape how the project develops, the council said, so that it keeps reflecting the needs of those leaving care.
Who pays for it
A dedicated team of staff will run the programme. The council expects it to pay for itself after its first year. It describes the project as early, targeted support that should reduce the chance of more costly help being needed later.
Mark Warr, chief executive of the National House Project, said: “We are delighted to welcome Croydon as a new Local House Project. Together we will codevelop an approach to support young people leaving care to build a home, lasting relationships, a sense of belonging and the foundations for a positive future.”
The Executive Mayor, Jason Perry, said: “Every young person deserves the opportunity to build a bright future, and that is especially important for those leaving care as they take their first steps into adulthood.”
“The Croydon House Project will help young people develop the skills and confidence they need to live independently, whilst providing a clear route into a stable home and ongoing support,” he said. “I am proud that Croydon has joined this innovative national programme. By investing in our young people today, we are helping them achieve their ambitions and reach their full potential.”
What it means for you
If you are a care leaver in Croydon, the first group of 12 has already started. The council’s announcement does not say how or when the next group will be chosen.
The project sits alongside a separate council plan for 86 flats for care leavers aged 18 to 25, at Strand House in Thornton Heath and 90 Central Parade in New Addington, which Cabinet agreed on 14 October. Our report on that plan explains how the deal works.
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