This story was recently featured in the Isle of Thanet News. It’s a personal account of my journey from homeless and addiction to finding stability, work, and ultimately, becoming a homeowner. I hope it inspires others to never give up hope.
My experience of homelessness began abruptly. I remember that first day vividly. My immediate priorities were simple:
- Find a tent
- Secure a safe location
- Get food
Fortunately, I had a small amount of money. I went to the local shopping centre, bought a tent, rucksack, basic fire-starting materials, and some food to last the first day. I chose the woods as my location. Unlike some others experiencing homelessness, I desperately wanted to remain unseen; I felt a deep sense of shame.
The next three months were incredibly difficult. I reached a breaking point. My circumstances were deteriorating, and I knew I needed a change. I was dirty, my hygiene was terrible, and my addictions were spiraling. The first two months, in a strange way, felt almost like a bizarre camping trip—something I’d never experienced before. But winter hit hard, and the last month was brutal. I was losing hope and desperate for a fresh start.
Then, out of the blue, the council offered me emergency accommodation. (You can read more details about this on the “Being Homeless Aged 18” section of my website.) For me, emergency accommodation meant a small room in an out-of-season hotel—a bed, a cupboard, a toilet, and a shower crammed into a tiny space. But it was a roof over my head, a significant upgrade from the woods. I spent eight months at the Glenwood Hotel.
Those months were transformative. I was warm, I could wash regularly, and I met some good people. Crucially, during my time at the Glenwood, I overcame my spice addiction. I even started a college course provided by the job centre to improve my employment prospects. For the first time in a long time, things were looking up.
One day during my college course, I received a missed call from an unknown landline. Intrigued, I called back during my break. It was the council. They had found me a flat! It wasn’t ideal—a tower block plagued with troublesome neighbours and frequent arson attempts—but it was another huge step forward. I spent three years there, making the best of it and even advocating for improvements in the building’s management. While it provided safety and independence, it never truly felt like home, which made it difficult to care for the space as I should have.
But something wonderful was on the horizon. My partner, Josh, and I had been saving for a while, dreaming of relocating. This year, things moved incredibly fast. On October 29th, we viewed a house in Rochester, Kent—an area I had previously lived in and loved. We decided to reserve a flat in a new development, with the possibility of taking over a better one that would be completed sooner than initially planned.
The following week was a whirlwind of phone calls and paperwork. Then, Josh called me with the incredible news: we had secured the second, better option! I was in disbelief until I saw it in writing. We were ecstatic.
The next month was a blur of paperwork, mortgage applications, and tight deadlines. Securing the mortgage was particularly challenging, but we finally received the confirmation from our lawyers: we were set to move in on September 30th!
On that day, we received the keys and had our first home tour. [Insert Image of Home Tour]
Within a week, we were fully moved in. I then spent another week preparing my old flat to hand back to the council. The entire process was stressful but ultimately incredibly rewarding.
This experience proves that even in your darkest moments, you should never give up hope. You never know what amazing things are just around the corner.
Thank you for reading this first in a series of positive-focused blog posts. Over the next year, I plan to explore challenging topics and highlight the positive aspects. Since I’ve just moved, I started with this story, but next month I’ll be focusing on homelessness.
I hope you enjoyed this story. If you did, please leave a comment on social media or via my website. Don’t give up hope!
0 Comments