Call for New Ideas for Innovative Housing Models for Young People (United Kingdom)

Deadline: 16-Oct-26

The Commonweal Housing Call for New Ideas invites organisations to propose innovative housing models that improve outcomes for young people aged 16 and over experiencing significant disadvantage during the transition to adulthood. A total of £25,000 is available for feasibility studies, with individual awards typically ranging from £5,000 to £8,000 to help promising ideas develop into future property-based pilot projects.

About the Commonweal Housing Call for New Ideas

Commonweal Housing is an independent social justice charity focused on developing, testing, and promoting innovative housing solutions that address social injustice. The Call for New Ideas seeks proposals that put housing at the centre of solutions for disadvantaged young people. The programme is not simply looking for conventional housing provision. It is interested in ideas that rethink how accommodation, support services, partnerships, and pathways can work together to help young people achieve better outcomes as they move into adulthood. What Is the Fund Looking For? Commonweal is seeking ideas for new or significantly improved housing models that could eventually be developed into a property-based pilot project. Applicants can propose innovation through: A new housing model. A new or underserved client group. Innovative partnerships. Improved housing and support pathways. New approaches to delivering support alongside accommodation. Combining existing approaches in a new way. New ways of using housing to address barriers to successful adulthood. The central question is why housing is essential to solving the identified problem and how the proposed accommodation and support model would improve outcomes. Target Beneficiaries Proposals should focus on young people aged 16 and over who experience significant disadvantage or barriers during their transition into adulthood. Relevant groups may include young people experiencing: Care experience. Homelessness or housing insecurity. Contact with the criminal justice system. Neurodivergence. Mental health challenges, excluding those requiring intensive clinical support. Other significant barriers to a successful transition into adulthood. Applicants should clearly define the population they intend to support and explain why existing housing and support services are not adequately meeting their needs. Why Housing Matters The programme places particular emphasis on proposals where housing is a critical part of the solution, rather than simply an additional service.

A strong proposal should explain:

What problem young people are experiencing. Why housing contributes to that problem or its solution. What type of accommodation is required. Where the accommodation would be located or how it could be provided. What support would be delivered alongside housing. How housing and support would work together. What outcomes young people could achieve through the model. The aim is to identify approaches that could create lasting improvements rather than simply provide short-term assistance. Funding Available Commonweal Housing has a total budget of £25,000 for this Call for New Ideas. Individual feasibility-study awards will typically range from: £5,000 to £8,000 per proposal The funding is intended to help organisations test whether an innovative housing concept is realistic and could eventually be developed into a Commonweal property-based pilot. What Can the Funding Be Used For? Funding can support activities needed to assess and develop the feasibility of the proposed housing model. Partnerships can help demonstrate that the proposed model is capable of being delivered in practice.

Step 5: Define the Feasibility Questions

A feasibility study should answer specific questions rather than simply conduct general research.

For example:

Is there sufficient demand for the model? What accommodation is required? What would the model cost? Which partners are needed? What funding could support future delivery? What regulatory or operational barriers exist? Could the concept become a property-based pilot?

Step 6: Prepare the Budget

Set out how the feasibility funding will be spent. Eligible costs may include staff time, research, stakeholder engagement, service design, financial modelling, consultancy, and appropriate travel. The requested amount should be proportionate to the work required.

Step 7: Explain the Route to a Pilot

The proposal should clearly explain what happens after the feasibility stage. Applicants should show how successful feasibility work could lead to: Idea → Feasibility study → Refined housing model → Property-based pilot → Evaluation and learning Tips for Applicants

To strengthen an application:

Keep the housing solution at the centre of the proposal. Clearly identify the disadvantaged young people who will benefit. Explain the gap in existing housing provision. Use evidence to demonstrate the need. Show how accommodation and support will interact. Involve relevant stakeholders early. Make the feasibility questions specific and measurable. Include realistic financial assumptions. Demonstrate potential for future implementation. Explain what Commonweal could learn from the proposed feasibility work. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

Presenting a proposal that is primarily a general youth-support project. Failing to explain why housing is essential. Describing an existing service without meaningful innovation. Focusing only on accommodation without explaining support. Providing a vague feasibility methodology. Requesting funding without connecting costs to specific feasibility activities. Failing to identify the intended beneficiary group. Proposing an idea with no realistic pathway to a future pilot. Applying from Northern Ireland, which is outside the geographic eligibility for this call. Key Facts at a Glance

Funder: Commonweal Housing

Programme: Call for New Ideas

Purpose: Feasibility studies for innovative housing models

Target group: You