For many of the people we help, imagining a day when they might open the front door to their own property can feel like a distant dream. But with our guidance and support, it can become a reality. We work alongside our residents to help them to heal, build self-esteem and set goals for their future.
It was after Phil’s mother passed away that things became difficult. He struggled to keep up with payments on the house that they had shared and eventually found himself homeless. He arrived at the Nightshelter in February 2020 just before the pandemic took hold.
“I thought it was going to lots of beds in a room, but it wasn’t like that, I had my own room,” explains Phil.
Whilst many residents were furloughed or lost their jobs during lockdown Phil managed to remain in employment as a cleaner. Our Support Worker met with Phil on a one-to-one basis during his stay to work out his goals and help him to find a way forward.
Phil was struggling to secure a property due to having some debts. Our support staff helped him to engage with an organisation called Christians Against Poverty which was able to help him to clear his debt with a Debt Relief Order. Soon afterwards, Phil was able to start bidding on Hampshire Home Choice and secured an over 60’s property through Winchester City Council.
Phil moved in to his new property almost a year after arriving at the Nightshelter. It is vital that residents are set up to succeed and this includes opportunities to attend training and gain skills that will help them to live independently. Phil successfully completed his Tenancy Training at the Nightshelter which will help him cope in his new home.
The Nightshelter will continue to support Phil whilst he settles in before the tenancy team at Winchester City Council takes over.
Asked to describe how it feels to be in his own home, Phil replied: “It feels great, it feels like such a big space to have all to myself.”
