Housing case studies
Read the stories of residents who have used housing-related support services in North East Lincolnshire:
Kirsty
Hear about Kirsty’s journey as she was supported by Women’s Aid and the council to move home and away from an unsafe space.
Laura
Read about Laura’s experience as her landlord sold the house she were renting.
Jeff and Danny
See how Jeff and Danny dealt with issues with the landlord and paying their bills as they began renting for the first time.
Jenny
Hear about Jenny’s experience with reporting a rough sleeper using the StreetLink app.
John
Read about John’s experience accepting help after sleeping rough in a tent for a year.
Kirsty
Kirsty and her baby moved back home to her parents’ house after her relationship ended. Kirsty enjoyed living back at home with the support from her family.
Shortly after moving in, her baby’s father began harassing Kirsty at home. He would turn up uninvited in the middle of the night, and ride his motorbike past the home at speed, causing the whole family to feel intimidated.
When this behaviour from Kirsty’s ex continued, her parents began to worry for her safety, and the safety of their younger children who were still living at home. They decided that it was too risky for Kirsty to stay living with them so asked her to move out.
Kirsty rang the homeless team, telling them she had been asked to leave, and had been experiencing domestic abuse. Because of this and her young child, she was classed as high priority.
Accommodation and floating support were found through a local partner. Kirsty built her confidence and learnt valuable skills in managing her home and her tenancy. She learnt how to budget, access vital services and maintain her wellbeing.
Kirsty has now moved out of the support accommodation, but still has floating support. She is in a safe environment away from her ex and the abuse he subjected her to. She is living independently and both her and her baby are happy.
For more information visit:
Asked to leave by a friend or family | NELC
Housing related support | NELC
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please contact 999 if you are in immediate danger, or Women’s Aid for support on 01472 575757.
Laura
Laura contacted the homelessness prevention service when she received notice that her landlord was selling the property she was renting.
She had no savings for a deposit for a privately rented property. She’d been offered a home through Platform Housing, but affordability was a concern and required support from the council to ensure she didn’t lose the offer of the home.
Alongside not being able to afford the initial deposit, she had to factor in the costs once she had moved such as:
- Changes in her travel costs
- Child related costs such as new uniform if they had to change schools
- How close her children’s school was
- Access to her family network and travelling to them
The housing case officer completed a full suitability assessment of Laura’s potential new home, including a full affordability check which looked at her incomings and outgoings, how close she was to her children’s school and family support network, and the deposit needed.
Laura and her housing case officer discussed realistic housing options, and agreed a realistic amount of financial assistance she could receive without putting herself in danger of future financial difficulties.
An application to Discretionary Housing Funds was made to cover the amount she needed to make up the deposit to ensure she didn’t lose the property.
Laura’s financial assistance was approved, and she moved into the new Platform Housing. She was closer to her children’s school and her family support network which improved her long-term stability and happiness in her new home.
For more information visit
Extra money for rent and council tax | NELC
Jeff and Danny
Jeff and his boyfriend Danny have recently started renting a house together, and this is the first time either of them have moved out of their family home.
When they moved in, they soon realised that they had no idea how to pay their bills and set them up as direct debits. They were struggling to make sure all their bills were paid on time and this meant they found themselves in some debt. Their landlord wasn’t happy with how long it took her to get the rent payments every month, and had no option but to issue them with a Section 21 notice.
Jeff’s mum suggested that he should contact the council straight away, so they rang the Homelessness Prevention Service. The housing case officer spoke to Jeff and Danny and informed them they would benefit from taking part in the Housing Related Support scheme, referring them to the team and informing the landlord of the result. Because of this, Jeff and Danny’s landlord agreed to let them stay in their new home.
The housing related support provider took Danny and Jeff’s HRS case on and talked to them to see how they would be best supported.
The housing support provider spent a year with Jeff and Danny, helping them set up direct debits and supporting them in managing their tenancy. They also learnt how to look after the house they are living in and built links with community support sessions, including money management courses and cooking classes.
Now, they still live in their original home, and the landlord is very happy with how well Jeff and Danny have settled in and learnt to manage.
Jenny
Jenny was out walking her dog when she came across a person sleeping in the field by her house. Jenny thought he looked like he was sleeping on the streets, but did not feel comfortable approaching him on her own, but she still wanted to help.
Jenny visited North East Lincolnshire Council’s website, which advised that she make an alert on the StreetLink website. After downloading the app, she filled in basic details including where she saw him and what he looked like. It was a really simple form, and only took her a few minutes.
Once completed, the form goes through to NELC’s Rough Sleeper Coordinator, who will then go out with the outreach team and find the person, check on them and make sure they are safe. The outreach team will offer relevant advice and support, to work with the person rough sleeping to improve their situation.
When she completed the form, Jenny requested that she received feedback about what happened to the man in the field. Shortly after the alert was received, Jenny was informed the man had been found and received support and advice from the outreach team.
John
John slept rough for around a year, staying in a tent within a wooded area in North East Lincolnshire. He tried his best not to be seen during the day, staying inside his tent as much as possible.
He found it hard to find food and sleeping rough had a big impact on both his physical health and his mental health.
He found it hard to find help. He had a phone, but often didn’t have it charged, which meant he struggled to stay in regular communication with support officers, and he found it hard to attend appointments due to never knowing the time.
An NELC housing officer built trust with John by consistently contacting him. Once he felt comfortable and ready to accept support he was referred through to Housing Related Support (HRS).
He moved into HRS supported accommodation, accessing a safe and stable home for the first time in over a year. He has worked to establish a routine and is now accessing essential services such as a doctor and dentist.
John is taking steps to improve his mental health and is developing life skills to ensure he can manage a tenancy in the future.
For more information visit: