There are some voices that are not heard and often ignored. This is harmful to us all, because it means that the personal disasters caused by homelessness go unnoticed. Amplifying these voices shines a light on the failures of our systems. Listening to them invites us to think about what needs to change to prevent housing insecurity, and all the harms that are inflicted on people by it. That’s why Caring in Bristol’s services are carefully designed to release people from the grip of homelessness, easing the pressure, and untangling the complexities of challenging housing systems.

Housing Insecurity

Meet Hels. She has experienced homelessness and housing insecurities over many years. Her story reminds us of the traumatic and unnecessary journey that too many people are forced on, because we still don’t have the systems and resources in place that make a safe, affordable, accessible home within reach. It also demonstrates how services like ours can support people to overcome barriers and create lasting change.

I ask Hels how her housing difficulties began. She takes us some years back to a different part of the UK, and to a time in her life when a relationship broke down and her safety was at risk. She told me how she had to suddenly leave, taking a few belongings and her dog. She explains, “I thought I had rights with the house because we'd been together for a long time, and we bought stuff; alright it was in their name, but it was my money. Didn't make a difference. I lost everything, including the money which was in her bank which was mine.”

Housing Rights

So many of us are unaware of our housing rights. We don’t think about them, and when a crisis happens it can be too overwhelming to begin taking the action that we need to take. We find this in our community co-production work which gets vital information about our rights, helping to prevent homelessness and housing difficulties at the earliest possible point. Sadly, no one had ever taken the time to explain Hels’ rights to her.

Not knowing what support was available, Hels tells me she stayed with a friend. “A friend I thought was a friend,” she clarifies. “They took my money every time I got paid and I saw none of it. They said they bought food, but there was no food in the house. He was hooked [on heroin] … and all my money was going on that.”

Options or choices?

When we don’t know what our options are, we’re not empowered to make choices that work for us. Hels hadn’t chosen another distressing situation; it had been the only obvious one that could prevent her being forced into the street. The situation quickly deteriorated, and Hels contacted the local council.

Explaining her situation to the council, Hels told them, “He threatened to kill me, and the council didn't hear that at first. But all I got after that – they just moved me round from hotel to hotel, all around [the county]." Some might associate hotels with an enjoyable break, but they make exceptionally poor substitutes for a home. She recalls, “The worst one was in the middle of nowhere. No buses. I had a 24-hour garage, a Burger King, a Greggs, that was it.”

Temporary Accommodation

Hels agrees with me when I suggest that this situation is so dreadful at a time when someone is trying to rebuild their life. “I wasn’t allowed to have a microwave, and no bus went into town. I would have had to have got a taxi which would cost me £20 there, and £40 back because it had to double back on itself.” This brings the sheer unsuitability and inconsistency of temporary accommodation into sharp focus.

Sofa Surfing

After having to leave yet another hotel, Hels was pushed into another insecure situation, sofa surfing. She describes sleeping on a sofa as “a nightmare, it was really tiny.” She then managed to take out a loan to rent some accommodation, but this was short lived after threats from an ex-partner. This time, she was moved to Bristol for her safety. “I ended up in a place for a weekend where you have a bed, a fridge, a cooker, but no cooking utensils. I had no stuff with me, so how could I go and buy pots and pans as well?” This was another insecure situation. Hels was asked to leave when her dog had an accident, distressed by the November fireworks that were going off.

Still with no permanent home in sight, Hels tells me her next move was to a shared house. Sadly, this wasn’t managed very well, and risky behaviour by other residents left her safety in jeopardy and saw her bank card being stolen. As she describes some of the many situations that took place, it’s clear that it cannot be right for anyone to be forced to live in unmanaged, unsafe, and precarious accommodation. Especially during an extended period being exposed to risk, and inadequate, inappropriate housing options.

Below National Standards

At this point, Hels says she was presented with two options by the council; to accept a place in a permitted development housing complex, or to be ‘intentionally homeless.’ For clarity, permitted development rights have enabled developers to create properties below the Nationally Described Space Standards. In the repurposed former office complex where Hels moved, none of the accommodation units meet the sizes set by the standards.

It's at this point where Hels’ path crosses with Caring in Bristol’s services. She attended our Bristol Goods food-led prevention project. The service provides a pop-up shop and it enabled her to access a choice of food for a very low subscription. As a starting point, this can relieve some of the financial pressure that people experiencing housing insecurity. After this, it creates options for support, information, and advice – all of which were missing in Hels’s life up until now.

Change is Coming

In the next instalment of Hels’ housing story, she’ll share with you what happened next, and the positive step-change that unfolded after encountering Caring in Bristol. You'll see that homelessness need not be inevitable...

Part 2 of Hels' Story