Without the emergency accommodation provided by the Winter Shelter, Jamie* would have been rough sleeping on the streets of Nottingham
Jamie* suddenly found himself homeless when his landlord told him he was selling his rented house and evicted him with a Section 21 notice. He contacted a local housing association, who referred him to the Winter Shelter.
He wasn’t working with any other agencies and he was facing a night sleeping on the streets.
Jamie has autism and struggles with social interaction, which raised concerns about his vulnerability and how he would cope with the communal layout and sleeping arrangements at the shelter. He didn’t present a risk to himself or others, he’d had no experience with the criminal justice system or any history of drug or alcohol misuse. Following a conversation with the housing association, we decided to offer him a bed. Without the emergency accommodation provided by the Winter Shelter, Jamie would have been rough sleeping on the streets of Nottingham.
When he first arrived at the Winter Shelter, he was very anxious and upset about his situation. He was scared about his future prospects, his safety and whether or not he’d find a new home. But he soon fitted in to life at the Winter Shelter and found the other residents to be very welcoming and protective towards him.
The housing association checked up on him a couple of days after he had arrived. Jamie told them there were a lot of very nice people at the shelter. He told them he felt safe and less anxious.
The housing association found Jamie a room in a shared house and a week later, he signed up for the tenancy with the support of Nottingham Private Rented Assistance Scheme (NPRAS), which helped with the deposit and rent.
Jamie is now living in a shared house and another agency is supporting him to manage his bills and maintain his tenancy.
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
The Winter Shelter offers short-term emergency accommodation for up to 27 people per night on the University of Nottingham’s University Park.
The Winter Shelter offers 24-hour access, which allows support work to continue during the day as guests are helped to find work, long-term accommodation, access to other services and three meals a day.
