John* became homeless following the loss of his employment, which led to him losing his flat. He left with the clothes he stood in and no belongings. This was his first experience of homelessness and he felt overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn for support.
He was rough sleeping for nearly two weeks before he searched online for local homelessness services and visited Emmanuel House’s morning drop-in sessions at our day centre. He was welcomed by our team, who offered him a hot drink, breakfast and access to a shower. It was the first time he’d been able to have a shower for over a fortnight.
Staff acted quickly to provide reassurance and practical support, completing a referral for our Night Shelter and he moved in that night. Due to having no local connection to Nottingham, John was not eligible for housing support through the council, which meant he wasn’t able to apply for social housing. Staff worked with his local council to try and find accommodation in his local area.
While John stayed in our Night Shelter, we also:
- Supported him to stabilise his mental health by providing consistent emotional support and encouragement.
- Assisted with benefit applications and resolved financial issues.
He successfully reconnected with his original local authority area and he moved into one of Emmanuel House’s supported accommodation projects outside of the city boundary. Over several weeks, we worked closely with John and he began to rebuild his confidence and stability.
Since moving into this accommodation, John has developed his independence while continuing to receive structured weekly support sessions. These focus on:
- Maintaining positive mental health
- Developing life skills such as budgeting, cooking and tenancy management
- Building confidence in independent living
“If it wasn’t for Emmanuel House, things could have been a lot different.”
John is now in a much more stable position and is actively exploring employment opportunities in preparation for moving into fully independent accommodation.
John says:
I’ve had a lot of help here, and if it wasn’t for Emmanuel House, things could have been a lot different. I keep thanking the staff all the time. Thank you for what you’re doing. The staff are brilliant.
John’s situation demonstrates how consistent engagement, practical support, and strong partnership working can help people move from street homelessness into supported accommodation and aspirations for the future.
It costs Emmanuel House £773 a night to run the Nottingham Night Shelter. If you’d like to make a financial contribution towards the service, please donate.
*our service user’s name has been changed to protect his identity.
