Jodie's story - homeless with a child at Christmas

Years of sofa surfing, living in insecure accommodation and mental health struggles that left Jodie (45) hospitalised and struggling to keep a roof over their heads.

Now, Jodie is looking forward to spending Christmas with her daughter in a home that’s warm, safe and hers.

“I feel reborn – I see life differently and have purpose and structure. I hear the birds when I wake up in the morning instead of wishing I didn’t wake up at all.”

Fleeing a dangerous situation

Jodie and her daughter became homeless after fleeing London to escape a relationship that had links to drug trafficking.

They headed to Kent with nothing but two bin bags of clothes and a few toys. Fearing reprisals from people Jodie used to know, they began sofa surfing and living in “run-down” hotels.

“I felt lost and unworthy as a mum... my daughter should have had a roof over her head but we were moving between different friends and cheap, run-down hotels.

“It was stressful. We were sleeping on friends’ floors and sofas but I was conscious of messing up their routines and they were worried about being visited by people I used to know.”

This cycle lasted for a year. Jodie’s daughter was unable to go to school and her own mental health was deteriorating.

“You feel like you’re not on the planet… you see life going by but you’re at a dead end,” she recalls.

Although Jodie had escaped drug traffickers from her previous life, she still “dabbled with drugs to mask the stress of what I was going through.” But this only made her mental health worse.

“I just wanted to protect my daughter by giving her four walls of her own. She deserved a normal life.”

Jodie's mental health takes a turn for the worse

Eventually they were awarded council housing. It should have been an end to their worries, but Jodie had developed severe depression which later developed into psychosis and long spells in hospital.

Unable to function properly, Jodie began falling behind on bills. Her daughter, now aged nine and not long back at school, became Jodie’s carer. They were once again in danger of becoming homeless.

“The medication I’d been put left me with no energy and my daughter would have to help me into the bath and remind me to brush my teeth and hair.”

How Porchlight helped

Things turned a corner when she was put in contact with Porchlight. Despite being told that things would be alright by her Porchlight support worker Debbie, Jodie was sceptical. She’d tried working with other health and housing professionals before but hadn’t managed to get the help she needed.

Soon, though, things began to improve.

“Debbie and Porchlight helped me get on the right medication, manage my debts and begin budgeting, and deal with all the things that had been worrying me because they threatened to make us homeless again. I felt so relieved and eventually stopped using drugs. All the while, Debbie never judged me.”

Establishing connections to your local community is an important step in the path to independence. We introduced Jodie to local community groups, allowing her to make new friends and regain her identity.

Jodie says: “It was scary to become more independent because it’s a big old world. But learning that people like me for my personality instead of just being after something made me feel valued, worthy and important.”

As Jodie regained her independence, so too did her daughter who now works in the care sector.

Earlier this year, Jodie became one of our ‘lived experience volunteers’ – Porchlight clients who have a seat at the table and a meaningful say in how the charity operates. She’s sat on job interview panels and helped us gather feedback about Porchlight from our clients.

Jodie would eventually like to work for Porchlight or a similar charity, helping others who are in the position she once was.

But first she’ll be celebrating Christmas – the happiest she’s been in years.

“My home is now my safe haven. It makes my mental health clearer and I’m no longer on edge or looking over my shoulder. I’m feel like I’m living, I’m happy. If you’re sofa surfing or homeless, you can turn your life around.”