Velos Youth is delighted to announce the expansion of its Housing Integration Project, made possible through a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). The Foundation will fund the opening of a second Young Person’s Apartment, which will support 24 young people over the next two and half years, to build lives integrated within Greek society.
The project continues to complement the Velos Youth holistic care model and benefits young people already accessing other Velos Youth services. Through the program young people are supported by a range of local professionals to find work, organise their finances and subsequently source stable private accommodation. The project uses a number of activities, arranged under the following two pillars, to achieve its mission:
INTEGRATION & INCLUSION
Through secure accommodation and a fixed address, young people start to feel and become part of the wider community they have previously struggled to access. Accommodation also provides an immediate community in which the young residents develop relationships and provide peer support based on common goals. The residents also attend Greek language classes together, provided at the Velos Youth Centre.
AUTONOMY & LIVELIHOODS
Young people are supported to achieve autonomy both through the life skills developed from maintaining an accommodation and fully taking care of one’s own needs (cooking, cleaning, paying bills, etc.), and through obtaining and retaining employment. To achieve this, young people receive regular 1:1 support, including professional employability advice and guidance, and attend a series of workshops which cover topics such as financial planning, health and rights.
We look forward to sharing further information about the project expansion as well as its success stories!
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