New accommodation to give young homeless people a roof over their head and the prospect of a better life has opened.

The Sunrise Foyer in Luton, Chatham, will provide up to 30 with a safe space to live while teaching them life skills and supporting them in education and employment.

The mhs homes’ initiative was opened on Thursday, November 28, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the agency’s chief executive Ashley Hook.

He was joined by Chatham and Aylesford MP Tristan Osborne (Lab), leader of Medway Council Vince Maple (Lab), and representatives from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Tristan said: “The new Sunrise Foyer will be a lifeline for young people who have nowhere else to go.

“Homelessness is devastating at any age, but young people are particularly at risk of exploitation and abuse.

“With somewhere safe to live, they can turn their lives around and move away from homelessness for good.”

The 24-hour supported accommodation features 25 studio flats, three one-bedroom flats and two which have been adapted to be accessible.

It has been part-funded by Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme and features green spaces, laundry and exercise facilities and an outbuilding for workshops.

Chief executive of the Foyer Foundation Joel Lewis said: “Last year, almost 136,000 young people experienced homelessness in the UK and we know that, without addressing the root cause, this number will continue to rise.”

Ashley added: “Many of the young people in our Foyers have had a difficult start in life and come to us with complex challenges but with a safe place to call home and the right support, they can go on to achieve their aspirations.

“Part of that is about helping to break the cycle of ‘no home, no job – no job, no home’, and this new Foyer will give even more young people a chance to develop an independent future for themselves. It will transform lives.”