Emmanuel House’s Nottingham Winter Shelter provided short-term emergency accommodation between October 2023 and April 2024

We first met Tom* when he was rough sleeping on the streets of Nottingham. He came into our morning Drop-In service for people who are homeless.

He is an EU citizen and has been living in Nottingham for six years. In 2021 he applied for Settled Status, which would enable him to apply for housing benefits and Universal Credit. His application was declined due to insufficient documentation that would verify his time in the UK, such as pay slips and medical records.

He had always wanted to work but struggled to retain his employment whilst he was street homeless, because of lack of sleep and access to washing facilities.  

Tom needed somewhere to stay whilst the Settled Status application process was challenged, as well as time to produce the correct evidence. Staying at the Winter Shelter prevented Tom from being street homeless during this time. Our Support Worker Jo also referred him to the Nottingham Law Centre, which provided him with legal advice and support.

Tom stayed at the Winter Shelter for seven months, which meant he was able to work, make a positive contribution to his community and wait for access to suitable housing.

His appeal was a success and he recently received Settled Status. Following this, Jo worked with the Nottingham Private Rented Assistance Scheme and Tom has now moved into a private-rented tenancy.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

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