{"id":5883,"date":"2023-02-17T10:59:17","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T10:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.depaul.org.uk\/?post_type=stories&p=5883"},"modified":"2023-03-30T17:25:15","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T16:25:15","slug":"emmas-story","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/www.depaul.org.uk\/stories\/emmas-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Emma’s story"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Emma, 23, became homeless after an abusive relationship fell apart while they were studying at university. They sofa-surfed for a while, but without a safe place to live, their mental health soon began to deteriorate.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis year has been chaotic. I moved into private renting after living in halls [at the university]. Then I met somebody and moved in with them, but they turned out to be abusive. Sexual assault meant I had to leave. I sofa-surfed and then moved back into university halls.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem with the university halls was that they kept putting me on bad contracts. I was on contracts for two weeks which would then be extended by two weeks. But I wouldn\u2019t find out until the end of that week. My mental health was awful. I had no stability in the situation. This carried on for six months.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt eventually led to a suicide attempt. The problem was never with my mental health, the problem was that I was homeless. You can\u2019t prescribe a house. I then presented myself to the council as homeless. But I was prevented from doing so by the University as they said they could house me. That\u2019s when Depaul got involved.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Emma was supported by Depaul\u2019s Pathfinder service, and worked with their Progression Coach, Charley, to find a safe and stable place to call home.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDepaul genuinely believed in me. That I could do many great things if only I had a house. That\u2019s extremely important, especially for someone whose trust has been violated many times by other services.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe did everything we could to find a flat and eventually we got a contract signed. It\u2019s lovely, it\u2019s safety, it\u2019s stability. It\u2019s everything I could have wished for. It feels like home.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been stable ever since. With Depaul, when you get housed, you don\u2019t get left to fend for yourself. You still get six months of support. I really like that as I\u2019ve had a bunch of issues come up. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to have a home. It\u2019s not just about having shelter; it\u2019s about rebuilding your life.\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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