Staff from Coventry Building Society and other companies will operate the venue to help single young people between the ages of 18 to 24 to help them access a range of support in one place.
The hub is based at Harp Place on Sandy Lane in Coventry and will be open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
The hub will also offer support services for single young people, or couples without children.
It will provide a safe space to get support and advice on housing, benefits, education and training.
The support will be provided by St Basils, Coventry Building Society housing, children’s services and partners such as Haven, probation service, Mind and Positive Choices.
The youth hub is central part of Coventry Building Society’s three-year multi-million-pound partnership with national youth homelessness charity Centrepoint.
Steve Hughes (pictured), chief executive at Coventry Building Society, said: “We’re proud to be part of something that’s tackling the issue of youth homelessness in our home city. Coventry Building Society is making a difference nationally through our partnership with Centrepoint, but it’s through the Youth Hub that we’ll see vital support delivered by our partners and bringing positive changes for young people at risk of homelessness in Coventry.
“The hub is a vital addition to the support St Basils, the council and other local organisations can provide, and we have to thank our network of suppliers who have rapidly transformed this space, often at no cost, into a positive and inspiring place for young people to use.”
Seyi Obakin, chief executive at Centrepoint, said: “Almost 136,000 young people faced homelessness last year [in the West Midlands] – this is a shocking figure, but only accounts for those who have reached out to their council for help.
“Many young people don’t know where to turn for support or what their options are, which is why dedicated hubs like this one, connecting vulnerable young people to a range of holistic services, are so sorely needed, not just here but everywhere.”
He continued: “It is a real privilege to stand here today knowing not only what difference it will make in the future but also the amount of hard work from Coventry Building Society and St Basils have put into getting us over the line.
“It’s this sort of partnership working, where expertise and resources are pooled together, that we need to see more of if we want to end youth homelessness for good.”
Kip, a young person who benefitted from St Basils, added: “I am so happy that there is going to be a youth hub in Coventry. Before I was safely housed and supported by St Basils, I was having to retell my story to so many different people and organisations, which is beyond exhausting and upsetting.
“It would have been so much easier if I only had to tell my story once, and not constantly have to constantly relive my past and be extremely vulnerable to strangers.
“This is going to be so useful to young people who need support at a crucial time in their lives. I’m grateful that other young people can now access a single service to help take over the massive burden of navigating the housing system by yourself, so they can concentrate on their wellbeing and building themselves up again, with support from an organisation who believes in them.”
Earlier this year, Coventry Building Society extended its live chat hours to offer more broker support.
