Housing options
One of the first things to think about growing up, is where to live as an adult.
From staying at home to living independently, find out more about each option on this page.
Where to live
Where to live as an adult is an important thing to think about for young people as they grow up.
Many young people choose to stay at home. There are lots of good reasons to stay living at home, including:
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support from family and carers
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it is cheaper to live at home
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not feeling ready to move
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This can be good, but independence still needs to be developed at home. By talking together as a family, or with others who offer support, as well as helping young people to learn how to cook simple meals, to tidy up and use the equipment in the house. If the young person is disabled, there is a lot of equipment to help and adaptations that can be made to an existing or new home environment so that young people can be more independent at home. A referral via Onecall to the Occupational Therapy Service for equipment and adaptations may be useful.
As a young person gets older, they could benefit from starting to spend some time in the home alone or more independently. There is lots of equipment, such as sensors that can monitor activity in the home and let someone know if help is needed, or alarms to detect if there is a problem such as smoke, gas and flood detectors.
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service do a free assessment and can offer advice about fire safety and prevention.
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Moving out
Whether a young person is thinking about where they want to live in the future, or has decided that they are ready to live independently, the first thing they need to do is register with Northumberland Homefinder so they can apply for a rented property. Or, they can consider renting privately.
If a young person is planning to move into their own home, it is important that they have the following:
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Their own bank account
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Benefits in place
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Photo identification e.g. passport
Living with other people can be difficult and talking to others can help with this. If you're worried about a young person losing their accommodation, it is important to contact Northumberland County Council's Housing team.