Funding stable housing for the homeless - Paul's story
Real Lettings is a social enterprise run by homelessness charity St Mungo’s. In partnership with social impact investment firm Resonance, Three property investment funds have been set up to date with the same social purpose: to help people at risk of homelessness to become more independent, linking stable housing to positive development in other parts of their lives.
Paul was homeless but for the last 18 months has been living in a safe and secure Real Lettings home. This has enabled him to rebuild his life.
Paul says, "God, if I didn't have this place, I dread to think where I would be, maybe back on the street. Maybe back drinking, I wouldn't know what I would be. Lost."
"I'm an alcoholic and there came a point in time when my family said you've got to go and sort this out. I had to leave the family house and sort it out, to do that I ended up being homeless."
"My home now is a one-bedroom flat. It's a nice flat, I like the flat very much. Good shops, good environment, good people here. It's a nice area. The good thing with this, the kind of support network from St Mungo's that you know it's there, I've never had to use it but the fact you know it's there helps. Whereas I think with a private landlord you don't get that at all, you know, it's a very cold contract basically. If I had issues or problems I could pick up the phone and speak to someone and get it all dealt with, so to speak, that's what I get here."
"Alcoholics fear change, alright, we like stability so this knowing that I have a safe, secure home, a backup support network is very important. I've never had that before, I've never been sober long enough to have anything like that. I currently am working, I'm a crane lift supervisor. I like my work, it's fun. So is this knowing that I have a home, it's nice, a nice feeling, warm feeling. Good feeling. I'm sober, I have everything to look forward to, a bright future so, that's what I have."
See Paul's story here in this 3 min video:
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Geoff Knott, 14/12/2019