CLASP Chester Lodging and Support Providers
Helping homeless people throughout Chester and Ellesmere Port & Neston areas.
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Working with
"What kind of people would let themselves become homeless? "
All
kinds of people. Young, old, working, on benefits, with or without
dependent children. In an affluent area like this, wages don't always
keep pace with property prices, and so anyone affected by job loss,
marital breakdown, bereavement or ill health can suddenly find themselves
homeless. At CLASP we find there are no "typical" clients,
each and every case is different although some themes do keep cropping
up.
Here, with changed names, are a few true life experiences to give you an idea
of how homelessness happens, and what the effects can be.
The Newcomer
I
am 44 years of age and come from West Belfast, Northern Ireland. I
grew up in a very troubled time with a lot of violence and sectarianism.
My whole life has been shaped by the events that I have lived through
and witnessed. Like a lot of people my age, who have lived through that
time in Northern Ireland, it has left a few scars, in a mental sense.
I came from a very normal family, which was close and protective. My brother
left Northern Ireland to come to England over twenty years ago. He settled here,
got married and raised a family. I got married myself and have two beautiful
daughters. Unfortunately my marriage broke up after 22 years and left me devastated.
I tried to commit suicide.
My brother and sister-in-law invited me over to live here as I was homeless and
was suffering from depression. My whole life was upside down and I decided to
give it a try, as I had nothing left to lose.
I felt scared, as if I was going from the frying pan into the fire, due to the
fact that I was also going to be homeless in England. I need not have worried.
My sister-in-law had heard of a group of people called ‘CLASP’ who
worked to get people like me, accommodation and to offer support.
At first I was very wary as I had never heard or learnt of a group like this.
What put me off was the fact that I was Irish and homeless and surely the English
homeless needed more support and help than me.
Reluctantly, I decided to go to my first meeting with CLASP. What I expected
never happened, I was made so welcome, just like an ordinary person. They were
able to sort me out with a deposit to rent my own property and a support worker
to visit me every week.
My support worker was able to help me with filling in forms, dealing with the
Council, Social Security, Citizens Advice and so on. Their help has been so valuable
and their advice has been so encouraging and helpful.
I now live in my own Council property where I am happy, safe and content. This
is due to all the help, support and advice that I received through CLASP and
in particular the support worker that was assigned to me.
The Soldier
If you knew
me 10 years ago, you wouldn't recognise me now. Then, I was a long serving
soldier, I'd been promoted to Sergeant, which wasn't bad for someone
from a background like mine. I enjoyed leading my men in training and
in active service and prided myself that I never left a man behind. I
was married, loved my kids, I had pride in myself.
Then I had problems with a senior officer - can't go into it here - about
some practices. The upshot was I had to buy myself out, I knew I was
becoming badly affected mentally but the doctor wouldn't see me. I came
out, my health was worsening, over the next couple of months I lost my
wife, children, home, the lot. I retrained but I couldn't settle to a
job, even though I am a really handy man. For six years I drifted around,
trying to stay out of trouble, knowing I was getting more and more ill
but not how to deal with it.
I came home to Chester, stayed with my old mum for a bit but then she
had to go into a nursing home and the family house had to be sold to
pay for that. I slept rough, in derelict buildings and in a tent with
my dog, my only friend. My doctor fixed me up with a counsellor but I
still had nowhere to live. The counsellor sent me to CLASP, because I
hadn't really had any luck with the Council, it was a bit of a last resort.
I saw this woman at CLASP, she was alright, a bit bossy, persuaded me
to give my medication another try, so I did. I was worried that my mood
would put her off helping me, because I could get a bit over-excited
then, shout and sometimes cry, but she seemed OK about it. We talked
about housing, realised that if I couldn't be parted from my dog private
tenancies wouldn't work, and anyway I was worried about how much the
rent would be - it's expensive around here. She told me that she thought
the Homeless Department would help because my illness made me vulnerable.
I thought there was no point, they'd offered me a ninth-floor flat previously
so I thought they wouldn't listen to my problems.
She made me another appointment with the Homeless people, but this time
she came with me to help explain what the problems were. Well, it made
me feel more confident, I didn't lose my rag and it seemed to go better.
Well the upshot was that I moved into a ground floor Council flat with
my dog a few weeks ago, the Royal British Legion gave me some money for
a bed and friends gave me loads of things. I'm keeping up with my treatments
and feeling better about things, I know it will be a long haul but I'm
part way there now.