Jess was referred to Centrepoint when due to unforeseen circumstances, she had to leave her family home. She was denied support from the council and applied to Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme. After applying to the programme, she was quickly accepted and stayed at the rent-capped accommodation for two years. She recently bought her first home at auction and is excited to start making the place feel like her own.
Reaching out for support
Jess was living at home when, due to unforeseen circumstances, she had to leave suddenly. She went to the council for support, but as she was earning over their threshold, they were unable to help her. “The council couldn’t help me because I was doing my degree and apprenticeship. I was earning more than enough in the council’s eye so they could not assist me.”
After that, she remembered a friend mentioned that Centrepoint had a programme for young people who were at risk of homelessness to live in independent accommodation, and Jess made the application. She was quickly accepted and after a couple of weeks was moved into her own flat.
Moving to Centrepoint
Jess was grateful that a space became available so quickly and that she didn’t have to look into other options that might not be suitable for her. “It was basically all that I needed at that time, like it was more than enough. At one point I was even thinking I might be going to a hostel or something but luckily it was everything I needed at the time in terms of my own space.”
She was also pleased that she was able to stay in an area she had grown up in so didn’t need to figure out a new neighbourhood and a new living situation all at once. She even knew a couple of the young people living in the programme through friends and family, which helped her to feel more settled and at home. “I’ve made quite a few friends, and I’ll definitely stay long-term friends with them. Everyone there was so nice. It kind of felt like a little family.”
The balance of having the rent capped at a third of her earnings and having the independence of her own space, with support on hand if she needed it, was exactly what she needed and meant she could focus her energy and attention on her studies. “It just mainly helped me to save, and as that was a very important year for my university, I did not have time to do the extra hours at my second job in order for me to save.”
“It’s not that it made me feel more independent, as I’ve had to grow up quite fast already. But it allows me to have a shelter so that I could be a bit more focused with my education, and thankfully I graduated last year.”
As someone who usually keeps their emotions to themselves, Jess felt not only the financial benefit of staying with the programme, but also the emotional impact and release that it gave her. “At the time, I didn’t really feel like I had anyone to vent to but having that burden lifted off my chest meant that I was a little bit freer, and I could think a little bit more and I could try to prioritise my school at bit more, which is something that I was definitely worried about if I failed university.”
Buying her first home
After two years of living with the Independent Living Programme, Jess felt ready to move on and get a property of her own and she began looking at auction sites. She quickly found one that met all her criteria, and as soon as the property went up for auction, she made sure to put her bid in. After the bidding closed, Jess found out that she had been successful and began on the complex paperwork to finalise the sale.
Whilst living with Centrepoint, Jess developed a close relationship with the support workers at the programme who were able to help her channel her energy into buying her first home and boost her confidence with taking this next step.
“Moses made me understand that I’m more than capable and that I’d been procrastinating about buying this house and because I don’t have my family and no one to really motivate me to let me know that I can do it. But having that support, I think that’s what literally made me start the process. Moses really helped with the emotional bits and was just like a father figure.”
“Pierre helped me with the brokers and when I said I want to move, within a month of us having our first conversation, I ended up buying my first place”.
Whilst living at Centrepoint, Jess and the other residents often came together to share their skills and knowledge with each other, to help each with moving on and beyond. Having different experiences and coming with a range of expertise was helpful to build a community and meant that they all had something to learn from one another. “I’ve met great people and there was someone who offered to help me out with my electric – he’s a sparky. He offered to do it all for free and help fix my house if I needed it."
“There was also someone that does interior design and asked if I needed any help to reach out for her. It was just the perfect group of people in that building. There were times when people wanted advice about investing and we’ll just be discussing some of our ideas and what we want to do."
Settling into her new space
Having been in her new home for a week, Jess is finally starting to feel settled and enjoy the sense of achievement in having her own space. “After the first or second day, I just looked out of my window, and I really just felt like that moment where you feel like, I did this. I felt proud of myself for everything I’ve been through.”
She reflects on moving a lot in a short period of time, and the sense of relief and freedom that comes from having somewhere that is her own place. “I’ve probably moved around four different places now and looking around and knowing that you can actually put a nail in the wall and not be fearful. It’s like when you’ve been moving around your whole life, and now you’ve got a place where you can actually settle and rest your head for a long time.”
She’s begun to put her personal spin on the place and making it feel like her own – something that she wants to take time to do, to make sure that it feels right and represents who she is. “I’ve got plans and I’ve bought a few things and a sofa but I’m just waiting for the next pay cheque. I don’t want to rush myself into it, and I really want to make this feel like me. Like someone can come into my house and they could tell that this was Jess’s house, this is all me.”
Planning for the future
Jess has been working in finance for around five years now and has plans to stay in that area for her career path. She has a love of travelling and seeing what the world has to offer for her, with her favourite holiday being when she visited sunny Brazil.
For Jess, there’s a clear piece of advice for any young people who might be facing similar situations or need a boost to help them on the next step of their journey.
“I think people need to focus little bit and not be easily distracted. Always try to remember that this is your life and you’re literally in control, so you need to put yourself first. Nobody’s ever going to help you steer the boat, so you need to steer the boat yourself and you should start driving it. Take control and if you feel like things aren’t going your way, then try to create your own opportunities.”
We are so immensely proud of everything that Jess has been able to achieve, and we wish her all the best with settling into her new home.
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