Yasmina became homeless after fleeing abuse. She is now living in one of Centrepoint's Independent Living properties where she has been able to focus on her future.
Fleeing abuse
Yasmina became homeless when she had to leave her home for her own safety.
Initially, her local council placed her in temporary accommodation. However, she felt anxious and unsafe after everything she had experienced.
“I wasn’t prepared for the situation. I was trying to leave an abusive household and was left somewhere that heightened my anxiety and feelings of vulnerability. It was horrifying for me. I had only just turned 18 so I didn’t really have the skills to manage and felt I had very little support.”
Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme
Because Yasmina was struggling in temporary accommodation, her housing officer referred her to Centrepoint’s Independent Living programme and since being there, she has flourished.
“Now I feel like I have support and care. I have regular reviews which are helpful because I like being able to check in and reflect on my goals. I know this place is a stepping-stone and being here is allowing me to save for the next stage. I’m not just surviving in the here and now, but able to think about the future.”
Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme seeks to give working young people a safe and affordable place to live to enable them to move forwards to the next stage of their lives. Charging only a third of a young person’s salary means that homeless young people can get out of survival mode and start planning their future.
As Yasmina attests, “It allows me to save. I feel like I have more opportunities to live a bit more. Before, because I wasn’t earning much, everything was going to bills and rent. I was in arrears and it was worrying. Now I can keep up with payments and even save a little.”
Planning a future
Yasmina feels like this opportunity has given her space to breathe so she can start thinking about her future and setting goals.
She is about to complete her Level 2 housing apprenticeship and hopes to go on to do her Level 3. She says that although it wasn’t the area she imagined working in, the experience has been beneficial.
“It’s giving me a sense of discipline and stability. In the past, I’ve found it really difficult to commit to things, but I have stuck with this and I’m really proud of myself for that.”
Yasmina is using the two years she has with Centrepoint to move forwards with her career and try and save enough to afford her own place.
“Coming from a background where I’m not really used to saving and I’ve never had to deal with money properly before, it’s been difficult, but it’s been a learning experience and I feel it’s prepared me for when I move out.”
“In the future, I’d like to be stable, in a house that I’m not worried about. I want to feel I have something permanent where I’m not in survival mode.”
We are so happy that Centrepoint’s Living Programme laid the foundations for Yasmina to move confidently to the next stage of her journey.
*Names have been changed
Tamsin Clements
