Toynbee Hall
Toynbee Hall works to tackle the causes and impacts of poverty on people and communities in East London, and further afield.
65% of households led by those aged 16-24 are privately rented, and many face challenges including unemployment, changes to benefits, and rising rents, which leave them at high risk of homelessness. Many private landlords want to be good providers of housing, but lack support and aren't engaged in designing solutions.
Berkeley Foundation is supporting a participatory action research project, which will establish a group of ten peer researchers who will be trained to co-design research into the specific issues facing young tenants in the private rented sector. They will engage a wider network of young tenants, create a reference group of stakeholders and co-develop solutions with private landlords in order to mitigate against rising youth homelessness.
Through training, research and co-development, the peer researchers will enhance their sense of agency and participation, and the project's learning will be disseminated to multiple stakeholders to help effect change to existing services.