Gabriel* is a Portuguese man living in London, who found himself homeless for the first time in the spring of 2020. He had a history of substance use and when he became homeless, his drug use had increased, due to the additional stress and trauma of his situation.

He had support in place around his drug use, but was struggling to fully engage with this process; overcoming this first barrier was essential in order to begin his journey away from homelessness. A lot of the early support he received was around stabilising his use, which he actively engaged with, and was successful in doing.

Gabriel also had a strong skillset and a long history of employment. The key to supporting him was helping him feel empowered to make steps towards employment and increasing his confidence, which had suffered during his periods of drug use and homelessness.

On a practical level the Lambeth Non-UK Employment Project (LNEP) team created a CV for him, provided transport costs so he could look for work and sent him job opportunities. Gabriel was encouraged to actively participate in the process, and by providing him with the tools he needed, he began taking steps to find employment.

Moving out of London was something Gabriel felt would be beneficial to his recovery. He found a job in Hastings as a cleaner in a supermarket, and needed to start within a few days. This is when support had to be as flexible as possible; the team needed to move quickly to ensure he was able to relocate in time to secure the position.

As soon as he was offered the position the team referred him to the Private Rented Sector (PRS) service within Thames Reach’s Tenancy Sustainment Team (TST), during which time he was secured hotel accommodation in Hastings and relocated immediately, to begin work within a few days. This gave the PRS team enough time to work on securing affordable accommodation locally and begin the resettlement process.

Gabriel is happy in his new job, it is a role that is not too mentally challenging for him; he says it gives him time to work on his recovery and rebuild his confidence. On his time off he is enjoying long sea walks and feels it is the first step towards a new future.

Alex* has dual nationality, having been born in France but later grew up in Spain. Her parents are Hungarian and Polish respectively. She is 56 years old and has spent the last 35 years living in the UK with a valid permanent residence card, which she got in 2015. These cards are being phased out and will no longer be accepted after 31 December 2020, so she needed to apply for the government’s EU Settlement Scheme.

She lives alone and is a client of Thames Reach’s Tenancy Sustainment Team and regularly uses the services at Brent Reach. She has previously experienced homelessness and slept rough for a short time. In April 2019 Alex had a stroke, which means she currently cannot move or walk easily. Tremors in her arms make it difficult for her to sign or write documents, so it was crucial that the EU Settlement Scheme team at Thames Reach were able to assist with the process of applying to the scheme.

Alex lacks digital skills and does not own electronic devices, other than an old smartphone which she does not like, struggles to use and does not understand. She speaks English but her first language is Spanish, so there are some language barriers in completing the process. With multiple physical and mental health support needs, it was important that she received sufficient support throughout the process. During the initial meeting with the team, she suffered a panic attack, caused in part by the fact that she feels anxious, depressed and unwelcome by Brexit and topics explored in the EU Settlement Scheme.

After the initial struggle with the system, Alex has now successfully applied to the EU Settlement Scheme with the help of Thames Reach. Although she still admits to disliking the scheme, she has a much better understanding of it now and feels great relief that she has been able to complete the process. Her settled status has just been confirmed, and she is now looking to the future.

Our client’s name has been changed for confidentiality

Ricky looks around the room, taking it all in. Slowly, he spreads his arms: “I’ve got my own house, my own kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, the living room you’re sitting in now.”

He stands up, and walks into the next room where a tent lies folded in the corner. “I slept in this tent every night when I was on the streets. Now, look around, I’ve got a place of my own.”

Losing his brother and sleeping rough

Ricky spent two months sleeping rough after his brother died from an overdose, a traumatic experience that also left him with nowhere to live.

“I found him dead. I was devastated. I was in a terrible place,” he says.

“I was moving around when I was sleeping rough to keep myself safe. You get beaten up. I’m very vulnerable as a person.”

He had been staying in Croydon and approached the council but, as he had no connection to the local area, he was unable to get any help.

Thames Reach outreach workers found Ricky bedded down and were able to help him into temporary accommodation. He was also put in touch with health services to get treatment for his alcohol use.

Housing First

At this stage, Ricky expected a long stay in temporary housing, but he was referred to our new Croydon Housing First team, which helps people experiencing homelessness into a flat of their own immediately.

This service helps people to quickly become independent again, rather than spending long periods in hostels or temporary accommodation. The team also helps with access to healthcare, benefits and training opportunities.

The Housing First team worked with the council, advocated for Ricky, and were able to secure him a flat.

“I was told that I had a viewing, a chance to get my own place,” Ricky says. “I was shocked it had come so quickly. I assumed it would be a private rented flat so I couldn’t believe it was through the council. I wanted it so much that I came to just look at it from the street in the days before the viewing.”

Enjoying his new home

Ricky returns to his seat by the window where the afternoon sun pours in. He’s now been in his flat for six months, and is continuing to access support to help him during his recovery.

“Coming off the streets has involved a bit of re-adaptation,” he says. “I’m paying the rent and making use of the help I’ve been offered. When you go from the streets to having to do things like paying bills again it can be difficult. If I want help I will ring up and ask. I know I will always get it.”

Ricky is now thinking about the future, and wants to start training courses to rebuild his confidence and eventually find work. “I used to be an English teacher, and I know French. Maybe I could do something with that,” he says.

He looks around his flat again. “I love this place and I’m so grateful for it. I’ve got a nice view out of the window. I’ve got a nice parquet floor. They wanted to rip that up but I said hell no.”

You can help people like Ricky to find a new home by donating to Thames Reach today.