“You saved my life”: Heidi’s story

The trauma Heidi* experienced left her feeling unsafe in unfamiliar locations. She’d had stints in temporary accommodation but they didn’t last long and she ended up sleeping her car again.

She was trapped in a cycle of homelessness. It led to her developing anxiety and depression, and drinking heavily as a coping mechanism.

Things changed when we gave Heidi a flat in one of our supported living properties. She had somewhere safe and stable to live combined with support from Porchlight staff trained to help people overcome trauma.

We worked with specialist services to help Heidi manage her drinking and address her mental health. We also allowed her to reconnect with the person she used to be by taking part in social activities pursuing hobbies. She became a regular attendee of our sisterhood group – a regular meet-up for women supported by Porchlight.

For the first time in a long time, Heidi started defining herself by her interests and not just her support needs. Her confidence grew and she started becoming more independent.

Eventually, Heidi was ready to move out of Porchlight and into a council home. But there was a hurdle: the local council didn’t know she used to feel unsafe in the temporary accommodation. From their perspective, she had a history of being given accommodation and then making herself ‘intentionally homeless’.

We explained Heidi’s circumstances to the council and showed them how far she’d come. It worked: the council awarded her somewhere permanent to live where she can begin the next chapter of her life. We’ve put measures in place to ensure she continues to get mental health support to help reduce the risk of her becoming homeless again.

Before moving out, she told us: “I absolutely loved my time here - it’s honestly the best place I’ve ever been. You saved my life.”

*Not her real name