An Oxford housing charity is looking to rent 60 homes across the county for 200 kids.

The charity Response, which has been delivering housing and support to vulnerable people in Oxfordshire since the 1960s, has just won two Oxfordshire County Council contracts to accommodate and support young people in the area.

This will help increase the charities housing provision and extend its work with 16-24-year-olds.

Kate Clemmow, director of Housing and Property at Response commented: “This is a golden opportunity for landlords in these uncertain times. We are offering exceptional benefits to those who meet our requirements.

“We know a lot of rental property owners are very worried about the future and this will give many the reassurance of guaranteed income and stress-free maintenance. It’s a lifeline for landlords – and for the young people they will be helping.”

Tenancies are held by Response, guaranteeing uninterrupted rent, while the charity’s property maintenance team, a crew of decorators, carpenters, and other trade professionals, is available at all times to deal with problems.

Richard Innes, Housing and Property Manager said: “They’ve seen every repair problem going and they rise to a different challenge every day. It’s the kind of back up that’s not usually available with regular rentals.”

Landlords also get the promise of a property returned in good condition at the end.

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Ms Clemmow said: “In some cases, the properties have actually been improved throughout the tenancy.”

The rented homes will be dispersed across the whole county and will each house between two and four young people. This format has been inspired by research in 2019 which suggests smaller shared properties are better for young people.

As part of a major review of the Young People’s Supported Housing Pathway in 2019, Oxfordshire County Council conducted research providing evidence that young people in supported accommodation are more likely to thrive in shared properties which house a maximum of four young people.

Many young people were struggling to make progress in larger- style accommodation. This led to the new dispersed housing model currently in place where residents live in 2-4-bedroom homes, distributed throughout the county.

A spokesperson for Response said: “Our experience over the last 18 months with young people in this scheme has been overwhelmingly positive – they are all doing really well.”

Individual properties for the scheme will be chosen across Oxfordshire to each accommodate three or four young people.

The residents will be supported during their tenancies by Oxfordshire County Council or Oxfordshire Youth. The closing date for landlords who think they may be eligible for the Private Landlord Scheme is June 21.

Further information and application at: www.response.org.uk/pls/ or email homes@response.org.uk