When David lost his business and went through a divorce, it led him to months of homelessness. After being helped by St Mungo’s housing services, he was later supported by our Keeping in Touch team.
When David lost his business and went through a divorce, it led him to months of homelessness. After being helped by St Mungo’s housing services, he was later supported by our Keeping in Touch team.
“I’m originally from the Caribbean but have been living and working in the UK for over 20 years. When I lost my home, I didn’t realise I qualified for any financial support.
Instead, I spent each day in survival mode, with just enough money to get food from the reduced section in the supermarket. I’d work in hotels and internet cafés to pay for a night in a hostel.
But when I couldn’t afford that, I’d sleep on chairs at a train station and the changing rooms of a 24 hour gym, where I’d shower too.
Last winter my mental health wasn’t in a good place. But I found out I could create an alert for myself on StreetLink – a service that notified local outreach services I was sleeping rough.
Someone came to find me, and I was taken to a St Mungo’s emergency hub, which felt like a weight lifting off my shoulders. The team supported me in finding my own private rented flat and I was determined to build a happier life.
But with everything going on, I forgot my permit to live in the UK was expiring. Every job application I made was rejected; I fell into rent arrears and faced being evicted.
I needed urgent help and didn’t know what to do. That’s when I received an unexpected call from Christine, explaining she was checking in from St Mungo’s Keeping in Touch service to see how I was doing. Her timing couldn’t have been better.
I told Christine everything, and she began connecting me with the right help, including an immigration team at a law center.
From there, she and Gurinder were a guiding light and genuinely cared about my situation. From sending me foodbank and bus vouchers, to attending court with me for the rent arrears.
After a lot of careful support, I got the news we’d been hoping for – my new residence permit was approved. St Mungo’s even paid for my passport to help make that happen. I nearly broke down in tears telling Christine and Gurinder the news.
From there, they gave me a list of landlords so I could find my new home and move forwards. Now I’m living happily and excited to get back into my previous career in digital marketing and web development.
“David’s story is a reminder of how situations can change so quickly. He was doing well one day and then faced losing his home the next – ready to pack his bags, with no idea how to solve the problem.
It was also a learning curve for us, spending a lot of time researching how to navigate such a complex situation.
This involved contacting local immigration support services, learning about different areas of housing law and always thinking outside the box.
But we got there in the end, and it was a pleasure helping David overcome everything he’d been through. I’m so pleased we made that phone call and could guide David towards where he is today.”
Christine
“We’re here to remind people like David that they have our help, and won’t be stuck in difficult situations forever.
Keeping in Touch shows how making a simple phone call has the power to make a huge difference. Because of that, David can now focus on longer term objectives like getting his career back on track. He has a vision for what he wants life to look like and I’m excited to see him make that happen.”
Gurinder
“To say I was ‘supported’ doesn’t come close to the help I received.
I live with peace of mind now, and St Mungo’s will always be part of my story.”
By supporting Keeping In Touch, our telephone support service, you can help people stay connected, supported and confident as they build their new life.