When Kay got a house with believe housing, she needed to rebuild her life.
She had just escaped a difficult relationship, after years of dealing with her partner’s addiction issues.
She was in a new town, with no friends and family, and had next to no income.
For nine months she slept on the floor, with no curtains or flooring.
Then we popped round to see how she was getting on, as a new tenant.
“Everything just hit me,” she said.
“After feeling embarrassed and trying to hide things, I felt like I could open up. I had no idea the support you could give.”
Kelly-Ann from our Tenancy Sustainment Team leapt into action and helped Kay get back on her feet, including getting her the bed she wanted.
She said: “I was drowning but you listened to me.
“You understand people can be vulnerable, due to no fault of our own.
“You don’t judge. You made me feel like a human being. You gave me back my dignity.”
Kay recently got back in touch with believe housing when she was unable to pay all her rent, and Lorraine from our Income Team and Tenancy Sustainment Officer Catherine helped.
“With the cost-of-living crisis and a couple of bills coming in at once I was struggling. I was convinced I’d get told off but instead believe housing asked ‘can we help?’.
“You gave me food vouchers and worked out a repayment scheme,” she said.
“It has made all the difference to know you believe in me and are there to help.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything believe housing has done for me, you’re all lovely and it’s just amazing what support is available.”
Jayne Adamson, Tenancy Sustainment Manager at believe housing, said: “We work hard to provide homes where people feel safe and can thrive, so it’s always good to hear from a customer that we’ve been able to support through a difficult time.
“We offer a range of services from money and employability support to help with energy efficiency or neighbourhood issues.
“Any customer who is struggling is encouraged to get in touch, we’ll do what we can to help and work closely with partner agencies to get additional support if appropriate.”
For information on the support available to anyone living in a believe housing home, visit the help and support page or call 0300 1311 999.
People who are out of work and looking for support to get back into employment are being invited to free drop-in sessions hosted by believe housing.
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A community garden in County Durham has helped spring children’s imaginations into life, thanks to funding from believe housing.
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Children from County Durham have been debating the issues that matter most to them, and now they are leading the charge to make a difference in their neighbourhoods.
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Demolition work is underway at a County Durham housing site, marking a significant step by believe housing to address outdated homes and prepare the area for future redevelopment.
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