Young people from migrant, refugee, and Black communities face disproportionately high rates of homelessness. This happens for a variety of reasons that include structural racism, immigration status, and hostile policies that limit access to statutory housing support. Studies have shown housing insecurity affects mental health, employment, self-esteem, and long-term opportunities. However, these young people who have lived experience of housing insecurity are rarely involved in designing solutions. 

Yeukai has not only witnessed these challenges but has lived them herself. She arrived in the UK as a young asylum seeker and spent nine years navigating destitution, homelessness, and insecure immigration status. Her experiences motivated her to set up Active Horizons, to create spaces where young people can access safe, dignified support without fear of discrimination or traumatisation.

Alongside providing direct support, the project also explores alternative housing models, including the development of a pilot safe house co-designed with young people, housing professionals, and policymakers. Through this work, Yeukai aims to influence policy and practice, addressing root causes while building pathways to long-term change.

Through mentoring, leadership programmes, creative practice, sport, and peer research, Active Horizons amplifies the perspectives of those too often excluded from decision-making, ensuring young people are not only supported, but actively shaping the systems that affect their lives.

Active Horizons provides safe, dignified housing for young Black migrants and refugees through co-designed spaces centred on healing and racial justice. With a focus on replicable models and policy influence, the initiative is building a system of care that ensures housing access is rooted in dignity and led by lived experience.

Working with young people aged 18–25, the initiative embeds trauma-informed support and self-advocacy training into every model. By ensuring a secure environment free from discrimination, the project helps participants build the confidence and legal knowledge to navigate complex systems while fostering empowerment through peer collaboration. In doing so, Active Horizons tackles a core systemic inequality: the racialised housing crisis. By piloting alternative pathways, the project reduces pressure on frontline services and creates new opportunities for young people to thrive. 

Yeukai Taruvinga arrived in the UK as a young asylum seeker and spent nine years navigating destitution, homelessness, and insecure immigration status. She survived forced displacement from Zimbabwe and systemic barriers that prevented her from working, studying, or accessing basic services. 

Yeukai also runs Shumba Boutique, a social enterprise providing employment opportunities in Zimbabwe, and has been recognised for her leadership in human rights advocacy, including influencing UK government deportation policy for Zimbabwean refugees. Her work is grounded in racial justice, dignity, and collective care, combining grassroots trust with strategic partnerships across local authorities, funders, and community organisations.