🏠 Housing after youth welfare
In brief
When inpatient youth welfare ends, three paths are in principle open: your own flat (possibly with outpatient support), a socio-educationally supported form of housing ("supported housing" under § 13 Abs. 3 or § 34 SGB VIII as a continuation via § 41 SGB VIII) or returning to your family of origin. If you move into your own flat before your 25th birthday and depend on Bürgergeld/basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld), the Jobcenter in principle requires an assurance in advance that it will cover the housing costs – for care leavers an important statutory exception applies here.
Step by step
- Clarify the type of housing in good timeClarify in the support plan in good time whether your own flat, supported housing or a return to your parents' home is an option.
- Obtain the assurance before signingIf you plan to move into your own flat before 25 while receiving Bürgergeld/basic income support, obtain the Jobcenter's assurance that it will cover the accommodation costs before signing the contract.
- Prove the ground for the exceptionIn the assurance request, expressly refer to the lack of an option to return to your parents' home or to serious social reasons – the Jobcenter is then obliged to give the assurance.
- Clarify deposit/initial equipmentClarify proof for the rental deposit and initial equipment in parallel with the Jugendamt (as part of support) and, if applicable, with the Jobcenter.
- Secure supported housing in writingRecord responsibility and cost bearer for supported housing as a continuation of youth welfare in writing in the support plan.
Deadlines
- Without the Jobcenter's prior assurance, it does not in principle bear the costs of the new accommodation after a move for under-25s – this applies regardless of whether you come from youth welfare.
- The assurance requirement is not a general ban on moving: the Jobcenter must give the assurance if, for serious social reasons, you cannot be referred to your parents' home (§ 22 Abs. 5 Satz 2 Nr. 1 SGB II) – a situation that is common, but not automatic, for care leavers and has to be proved in the individual case.
- Supported housing is not a fixed category with a nationwide uniform scope of services – design and cost rates differ by provider and municipality.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
The U25 assurance under § 22 Abs. 5 SGB II
In principle, when moving before the 25th birthday, accommodation costs are recognised only if the municipal provider gave an assurance before the contract was signed. The provider is obliged to give the assurance if (1) serious social reasons speak against referring you to the parental home, (2) moving into your own flat is necessary for integration into the labour market or (3) a comparably serious reason exists. Care leavers who no longer have a parental home or cannot return there for good reasons often meet the first alternative – but the law does not expressly name care leavers as a separate group of cases, so the reason has to be set out in the individual case.
Supported housing as a youth welfare service
The legal basis is § 34 SGB VIII (residential care, other supported forms of housing) or § 13 Abs. 3 SGB VIII (socio-educationally supported housing), in each case in conjunction with § 41 SGB VIII for young adults. The youth welfare provider bears the costs within the approved support.
A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.