HO a newly recognised Refugee, attended her housing appointment with a friend who assisted with interpretation, one morning early in November. Like most Refugees whom I interview, she had become homeless after her Refugee status was granted.
She said that she had become stressed and anxious in Norwich where the Asylum accommodation had been located; she had felt isolated as she could not speak English. There was nobody from her community nearby, so she said that she was often bored in the hotel and she particularly missed the church community and form of worship which she was accustomed to.
After Refugee status was granted, all these factors above, caused her to travel to London where she knew she would meet members of her community and Orthodox Christian congregations. During her interview, I completed a referral for a Night Shelter and another to a Housing Provider.
Ten days later, on one of the coldest days we’d had so far, she called to ask for a progress report and to inform me that she was still sleeping rough outside Bank Tube Station. SWEP The Severe weather Emergency Protocol was in operation at the time, meaning that local authorities offer emergency accommodation to street homeless people to prevent them from dying of extreme weather temperatures – cold in this case. I gave her the number of the local authority homeless service so that she could get some emergency accommodation under SWEP. I called back a while later and she advised that the phone had rung continuously, without being answered. I had also tried to create a Streetlink alert online so that some Outreach Workers could place her in accommodation but the system was malfunctioning.
I called the Rough Sleeper’s Co Ordinator in Southwark to ask for help, he took her details and these were passed on to the Street Link Workers for the area where she was rough sleeping. When I called her the next morning, she had slept rough during the night and no one had contacted her. I was hopeful that as her description was with the appropriate team, if the cold weather persisted, she would be helped. Also, my two other referrals were outstanding.
Days later the Night Shelter Project Worker called to tell me he had a place for her – good news, I always get excited about a result! Days after this, the other housing provider called to advise that HO had been housed. This is one of the quickest transitions, from homeless to housed that I have seen and just before Christmas too! I am sure she would have received this as a fitting Christmas present. I spoke to the friend who had interpreted and gathered that the result was pleasing. Here’s wishing her the best with a turnaround in her fortunes!