A grandmother forced to ‘claw’ her way from addiction has reconnected with family thanks to a £4,000 government cash injection.
Sarah is among a small group in Kent, being supported by Canterbury-based charity Porchlight, to have joined a first-of-its-kind trial, examining the effects of giving former rough sleepers greater financial help.
Having previously moved between temporary housing in Dover, where Sarah said she was surrounded by addicts who forced her to return to the streets – and then Porchlight accommodation before taking on a council property – she has used her cash pot to furnish her new home.
Others have used the money to clear long-standing debts or credit card bills, funding new career moves with the help of things like laptops, courses or driving lessons.
One former homeless person has even used the cash to get married and settle down.
Money is not placed directly in participants’ hands – instead held in personal budgets by Porchlight – whose staff have helped candidates spend it.
Rarely, says the charity, were requests turned down – albeit one person’s desire for an inflatable motorised boat was reconsidered.
Instead, staff and candidates had honest conversations about what was practical or feasible, for example, around wish list items like cars and their upkeep and maintenance.
Sarah said her cash pot has been “massive” in helping her build a new safe space for herself and better relationships with her offspring and grandchildren, which had been impacted by her addiction.
Simple things like inviting family for dinner and having the necessary facilities to store and cook her own food have been life-changing, while being in a better place means she’s also now getting the mental health support she “tried for years to get and failed”.
She said: “I lost my kids a long time ago… I was in addiction and had to claw my way out.
“If it wasn’t for Porchlight I wouldn’t be housed, but there are rules around the ages of people who can come and visit.
“Porchlight helped me get a place of my own and when I was awarded this money, I was able to kit it out. I could choose what I wanted, I could make it feel like home.
“Getting the money has allowed me to do the final bits to my new home that mean I get to see them and my grandkids more.
“My kids haven’t had me for a long time. They have me now and you can’t ask for anything more than that.”
The trial – paid for by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – will continue to study the longer term outcomes for those getting ‘typical’ homelessness support as well as the extra money against those only getting standard support without the extra cash.
But Tom Neumark, CEO of Porchlight, revealed that the charity has been so impressed with how successful the initiative has shown itself to be that there are plans in the pipeline to fundraise locally to enable it to create fresh cash pots so more people can benefit.
He explained: “So a one-off sum can just mean you almost get moved into a different world.
“You get that ability to really change things significantly rather than just managing, rather than just treading water and keeping your head above water.
“And we all know it. If you move into a flat, a home, and it’s got the last person’s decorations up, it doesn’t really quite feel like your place.
“And if you move in, and you know, the government says, ‘here’s your kind of recommended wallpaper or paint’, it’s never quite going to feel like your home.
“Whereas the possibility of going through a catalogue with a limited budget, making trade offs and deciding this is my priority, that’s my priority, people go in completely different directions. And that’s how it is and how it should be.
“And it means people have a better chance of staying in their home because they feel proud of it, because they’re happy with the stuff that they’ve got.”
