Steve, age 71, and his teenage daughter became homeless when they were served a Section 21 no fault eviction from the property that they had been renting for three years. They had two months to try and find somewhere else to live.
“The landlords wanted their house back so that they could come and live in it for a while. It felt like the rug had been pulled out from under our feet. I have rented properties for many years so I am familiar with trying to find a property but on this occasion I couldn’t secure one. I don’t know if it was my age or my health issue but no one seemed to want to rent to me.
My daughter went to stay with family. Unsure what to do next, I made contact with Winchester City Council, they put me in touch with The Winchester Beacon.
I was offered a place in one of the charity’s shared four-bedroom houses. I settled in well, it was good to meet the other residents. I am a home-based IT engineer so having a roof over my head and working wifi was crucial. The house gave me this as well as comfort and security.
My Support Worker at The Beacon helped me to understand the system and explained that it would be a good idea for me to apply to the housing register. I followed her advice and three months later I moved into my own place. What’s more, it’s a life residency. I have also managed to help my daughter to find a place to live.
I am not a religious man but my Beacon Support Worker is the nearest thing I have met to an angel. She has the ability to listen and absorb. She has empathy and understands the problems people have, she does everything possible to help.”.
