The Problem

Each year, thousands of people leave prison or the care system without adequate support. This often leads to offending, especially if the individual is forced into homelessness. 

Research shows that without stable accommodation, 69% of prison leavers reoffend within the first year, perpetuating cycles of poverty, crime, and strain on public resources. 

Care leavers, too, face a heightened risk of homelessness and interaction with the justice system, often stemming from a lack of early support and stability.

Unless we adopt a new approach, we will continue to fail the most vulnerable in society, damaging their futures and adding strain on an already overwhelmed prison system. 

 Over three years, Own Merit explored existing housing models for prison leavers and care leavers across the UK. Insights from private landlords, housing providers, and individuals with lived experience revealed significant gaps:

• Supported Accommodation: Costly and often inaccessible to those gaining employment, creating disincentives for self-sufficiency.

• Temporary Accommodation: Expensive, unsustainable with limited support. There aren't many options for move-on housing, this creates a perpetual cycle of state dependence. 

• Council Housing: Oversubscribed, leaving many in temporary accommodation.

Drawing on Evidence-Based research by Dr. Ruth Mann, Own Merit has worked with private landlords, local authorities, housing providers, prisons and probation to develop and implement the innovative “Supportive Living Model”.  

It is an affordable, safe, and sustainable hybrid approach that blends the experience of living in a regular private Household of Multiple Occupation with the level of support expected with Supported Living. 

Our approach combines elements of rehabilitative culture, peer support, and community living. Key to our success: 

• Selection: Choosing individuals motivated to build constructive, independent lives.
• Empowerment: Encouraging residents to co-create house rules and support one another.
• Accountability: Setting clear expectations and consequences.
• Technology: Leveraging automation to manage properties efficiently.

Residents work together to create a stable, supportive home environment that fosters personal growth and self-reliance.

The struggles experienced by the residents will be best understood by other residents, who will likely have experienced similar challenges. This peer-support approach means the programme can provide a unique level of support, available 24/7 within the house.

To prevent homelessness and reduce the number of people entering the justice system, or reoffending, by providing them with the care, community, guidance, and resources they need to live fulfilling lives. 

Since opening the first six-bedroom property in Northampton in May 2023, we have supported many individuals to live independent lives, with a focus on education, employment, and reconnecting with family and community.

Working with the Department for Work and Pensions, and partnering with local employers and organisations, residents are assisted into training or employment and will also engage in volunteering.

The triangle in the Own Merit logo takes inspiration from three key principles. 

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: People can’t live law-abiding lives without basics like food, shelter, and security. 

• Change: The triangle represents the mathematical symbol for change, highlighting our goal of shifting mindsets and actions. 

• Strength: The triangle is the strongest shape in construction, All sides—personal health and wellbeing, self-improvement, and community involvement—must be strong, or the entire structure will collapse