Last updated:
22nd June 2026
Housing options when you leave care
Thinking about where you’re going to live can feel overwhelming, and that’s completely understandable. Your social worker, your Personal Adviser (PA), and a Young People’s Homelessness Prevention Officer are all there to support you. They’ll help you explore what might work best for you.
Not all young people remain living locally to Wokingham. If coming back to Wokingham doesn’t feel right, for example, because you’ve been living somewhere else for a long time, that’s okay. Your support team will explain what options are open to you, and help you think through your next steps locally where you live.
Below are some of the housing options that might be available.
Housing options
‘Staying Put’ with former foster carers
If living with your foster carers has been going well, you might be able to stay with them after you turn 18. For some people, this feels like a good way to take things slowly - staying somewhere familiar, with people you know and trust, whilst you build confidence and prepare for independence. You can remain under a stay put agreement until the age of 21, however this can go beyond if you are in Higher Education or there are other reasons.
Supported lodgings arrangements with a host in their own home
Supported lodgings mean living in someone’s home and sharing day‑to‑day spaces with them. Your host is there to support you, helping with everyday things, offering guidance, and being someone you can check in with. It’s a gentle step towards independence, knowing you’re not on your own.
Shared Lives placement in a family setting
This option is for care leavers with additional needs, such as mental health needs, physical disabilities, or learning disabilities.
You’d live with an approved carer who welcomes you into their home and everyday life. They offer steady, ongoing support in a caring and understanding environment, tailored to what you need.
Living in one of our Transitional accommodations a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO)
Living in one of our transitional accommodations similar to a HMO can be a good in‑between step. Support is available at your residence. This is alongside the support from your personal advisor. You’ll get the chance to learn how to manage things like bills, household responsibilities, and your tenancy, whilst still having support around you.
Places are limited, but your PA will have an open chat with you about whether this could work. When the time’s right, you’ll be supported to look at longer‑term options like social housing or private renting.
Self-contained social housing
This means living on your own in a council‑owned property. It’s usually an option for when you feel ready to manage your own place, with reassurance that support is still there if you need it.
This means living on your own in a council‑owned property. It’s usually an option for when you feel ready to manage your own place, with reassurance that support is still there if you need it. As a care leaver, you will have priority for consideration to be housed. you will be placed on Band B once you have submitted the necessary documents and completed a tenancy readiness course. Your PA will help you with this.
Private rented tenancy
Private renting means renting from a landlord, either in a shared home or a place of your own. Your support team can help you understand how it works, including paperwork and budgeting, so you feel more prepared and confident.
Moving back in with family
Some young people choose to move back in with family. If this is something you’re thinking about, it will be talked through carefully with you to make sure it feels safe, supportive, and genuinely right for you.
Going to university and needing holiday accommodation
If you go to university, you’ll usually live in halls or private accommodation near your campus during term time. When it comes to holidays, the council can help you sort out somewhere temporary to stay if you need that support.
