DAVE

A permanent home and peace of mind

Sadly, Dave lost his baby son at just three months old, in May 1994. This terribly traumatic experience had a major impact on him and was the catalyst for his depression. Over the years, both Dave’s mental and physical health slowly declined, which also led to problems with alcohol. He became very introverted and was struggling with feelings and emotions that he felt unable to communicate to his loved ones. In the end, this resulted in the breakdown of his marriage. After he left the family home, Dave became homeless.

With the help of his brother, he was able to arrange to stay in a friend’s caravan for two weeks. Following this, Dave had nowhere to go. After a quick internet search, Dave and his brother came across Action Homeless. They made a phone call and Dave was invited to attend a meeting with Denise, a Tenancy Sustainment Coordinator at Action Homeless. When Dave attended the meeting, he was very emotional and anxious. He didn’t know what to expect and felt he was in a desperate situation. He was extremely worried about his own health and wasn’t sure what help was available.

Just 2 days after this meeting, Dave collected the keys for his new home and with the help of his brother and Denise, moved his belongings into his new flat, where he’s now been living for two months. He was the first tenant into the property, which comprises of four flats with two shared kitchens. The property is new to Action Homeless, the result of a partnership with Zone properties, and has been recently renovated. Dave was overcome with emotion when he was first shown his new home and was especially happy to have his own private en-suite bathroom. As well as help to find a home, Denise supported Dave to get his finances in order and helped him to ensure his Universal Credit claim and rent payments were set up correctly.

Dave is now feeling settled in his home and feels much more positive about the future. He gets on well with the other people living close by and feels comforted by the fact that Denise and the Action Homeless team are just around the corner or on the end of the phone should he have any worries. Registered with his local GP, his health concerns are being addressed and he is attending regular appointments to get the treatment that he needs. He is once again enjoying life.