As a child, I longed for stability, but we frequently moved from city to city, each relocation prompted by my father. Leaving behind the familiar and stepping into the unknown, my parents, younger sister and I often stayed in hotels until we found a new home and started over.
When I was around nine, we moved from Birmingham to London, and I vividly remember sleeping in a coach station because my dad had planned no further than the journey itself. Looking back, I realise his mental health issues drove this constant upheaval, but as a family, we adapted. Each year brought a new school, new friends, and a new way of life.
Even though my parents were separated, and I hadn’t seen my father in years, by the time I was 18, my mum’s new partner would often ask me to leave because we did not get along. I needed a plan to get away, so I applied for university, and got accepted into the University of Exeter, where I earned a degree in law.
Life after university
After my graduation, I didn’t plan and was worried about what I was going to do next. After a disagreement, I knew I couldn’t live with my mum, so I considered three options: staying for a master’s (I wasn’t accepted), talking to Citizens Advice (they recommended hostels), or asking a friend for help. Fortunately, my friend’s family let me stay with them in Basingstoke for five weeks while I found work and a place to live.
I found an agency job and saved for a deposit, but what I didn’t realise was that I also needed a month’s rent in advance. Turned down by the landlord at the door, I had little choice left and moved into a budget hotel. At this time, I was earning about £420 a week, but spending most of it on hotel bills.
This one time I found a cheaper hotel and went to check in, but the guy grabbed my bank details and literally took all my money. I had to call my bank and explain that we hadn’t discussed how much the room rate was, although I knew he was taking advantage, I felt it was partly my fault for putting myself in that situation.
I realised I could not continue living in a hotel, but with the council only open during the hours I was working, I had to ask my employer for a week off to find housing. It was a gamble, but thankfully it paid off. The council helped me find a room in Andover, paying my deposit and my first month’s rent, which I am currently repaying in instalments. If it wasn’t for that, I would have faced street homelessness, which terrifies me.
After moving into my new home, I was dismissed from my employment, struggled with inconsistent agency work, went on Universal Credit for some time, fell into rent arrears and received an eviction notice (for the second time). After receiving my eviction notice, I made an appointment with the housing officer at the council. It was here they told me about Emmaus.
I went straight home after the appointment and made a referral to Emmaus. I chose to apply to Emmaus Oxford, Emmaus Cambridge and Emmaus Hampshire, and I was surprised when, two days later, the community manager at Oxford got in touch. She told me all about Emmaus and arranged for me to visit, and trial the Oxford community. After my trial, I was on the train home when they called to say they would like to accept me. It was the happiest feeling! If I hadn’t had been accepted, I was so worried I would have become street homeless, as I had nowhere to go.
Living at Emmaus Oxford
I’ve lived at Emmaus Oxford and gained work experience in their store since February 2024. At Emmaus each day is different, we are not stuck doing the same task all day. In the beginning, my role involved operating the tills and sometimes helping with collections and deliveries on the vans, but now I am in the office a lot more. Being able to contribute ideas and brainstorm scenarios with managers makes me feel valued.
Living communally with mostly men has been a compromise, but they are lovely, often treating me like a little sister. I also had the opportunity to demonstrate my cooking skills to everyone in the community, and it went really well – it was even posted on Emmaus’ Social Media Platform! Additionally, having my room with a shower is a huge comfort.
The stigma around homelessness
Telling my story has taken me a lot of courage, but by telling it, I hope to inspire others and remove the stigma around homelessness. It’s not always men with a troubled background that can become homeless, it can also be the result of a set of unfortunate circumstances. I was 22 when I came to Emmaus and often scroll through social media to see my old schoolmates enjoying life, travelling or partying, but instead my life took a different turn. For that, I had to bear a tougher skin. I am often told that I am a strong individual. It is not easy for a young woman like myself to go through something like this.
I’d like to think that homelessness can be prevented by avoiding various factors. Emmaus gives individuals a clear mindset to think, to reflect and to plan ahead. Something that some of us might not have had before coming to Emmaus. I want my story to give people a sense of hope, that you can turn your life around if you want to.
I wish I’d known about Emmaus sooner, so I wouldn’t have had to worry about becoming street homeless. With support from Emmaus, I can finally make longer term plans; I am learning to drive and I’ve been applying to volunteer at local organisations in order to gain valuable legal experience, which I hope helps with the next step in my journey to becoming a barrister.