World Homeless Day: Interview with local resident explaining how she was helped by our housing service to find a home

Since April 2020, Lewisham Council has helped 766 singles and households keep their homes or find a new one. This includes resettling 101 rough sleepers into longer term accommodation. However with nearly 2,500 households in temporary accommodation, we continue to need the support of landlords to help those in Lewisham in housing need.

We chatted to one of our local residents who explained to us how she was helped by Lewisham Council’s housing service to find a home.

Could you tell us what led you to come to our service for help?

I had lived in various properties for years without too much trouble and had always kept on top of my rent. However, following some personal issues, I found myself living in the front room of my mother’s room with my 12 year old daughter. We then ended up having to stay in a match box bedroom in my friend’s house. She was on a single bunk bed. I was on a pull out chair underneath.

Living in such cramped conditions made it impossible for my daughter to study, especially as most of our time was spent in this very small room. COVID then struck and we found ourselves in a position where we were hardly able to leave the house and had no access to a garden. This was a really horrible time for us.

As I was claiming universal credit, I found it difficult to find a new home. During the house-hunting process, matters were made worse due to serious issues with my daughter’s father. As a result of this, I was referred to MARAC, an organisation which helps people at risk of domestic violence. MARAC then referred me to Lewisham’s housing service.

How did you find the process of finding a new home?

I found the work with the housing solutions service to be fantastic. My officer also had a lot of empathy. This made me feel so good after being rejected so many times. To have someone who treats you like a human being makes a huge difference.

I knew that council housing wouldn’t be an option because of the waiting times. My housing officer helped me understand what I would be able to afford by going through a budgeting form with me. They also told me where to look for properties.

What do you think might help people in the same position as you in the future?

I think that being on Universal Credit can affect how you’re treated, especially as a single woman. So I think that it would really help if people changed their attitudes about homeless people and realised that it’s a situation that can happen to anyone at any time.

How are you settling into your new home?

I looked for properties every day and eventually found a two-bedroom privately rented flat. I feel like this is the beginning of our lives. We feel like we live in a palace now. And the difference in my daughter is very obvious. She is now a much happier person. We both are.

Cllr Paul Bell, Lewisham Cabinet Member for Housing & Planning, said:“It is the right of everyone to have a secure and affordable home. Our staff have prevented 766 homeless cases since the start of the pandemic. With the right tools, local, regional and national government can end homelessness. It just takes the political will to do it and Lewisham is willing.”

If you are a landlord with a property to let, we can work with you to find the right tenant for your property.

If you are a landlord with an empty property, you may be eligible for a grant to bring it back into a rentable condition to help homeless households.

Further advice and assistance for both landlords and tenants is available here.