“Up until I spoke to Ryan at the end of November, my life was falling apart”
Kevin was in a difficult situation when he first reached out to HOS. He had had a long period of his life in unstable housing since leaving the Armed Forces. Kevin joined the Territorial Army and soon after joining he was out serving in Iraq. 6 months later he had a breakdown and 18 months later he had left the army. Kevin felt like he’d been thrown right in the deep end, and he wasn’t psychologically prepared for the mental challenges of a tour in Iraq.
Following his discharge in August 2004, he went on to deal with substance issues as he tried to self-medicate, while he dealt with complex PTSD. Returning to the UK, he felt like he was being passed from pillar to post. He was moving home between family and friend’s houses and eventually he became isolated. Unfortunately, he was not getting any formal support for his mental health and Kevin felt:
“like I’d hit rock bottom… last November it all came to a head and I found myself in a bad situation, wandering the streets, then I reached out”
Kevin was dealing with many challenges but one thing he did have in place was a stable job and a good, supportive employer. When he first started looking into options for where to live many of the veterans supported housing arrangements weren’t affordable for him as a working veteran. He didn’t want to give up his work and this meant that he had to turn down some possible housing options. The added stress of having no money left at the end of the month after paying for supported housing costs was too much for Kevin and the location of these options didn’t work well for his job.
Kevin approached several organisations and charities for help but felt like he was going round in circles, and then he contacted HOS.
“Ryan was like some sort of miracle, he spoke to people, he explained my background, he took away the awkwardness of having to go through explaining my life again… reliving the trauma.”
For Kevin, the support he received from his broker really went above and beyond. He found it easier now to speak to the council and housing associations as Ryan would pave the way and coach him on how to approach things. Kevin started to feel more motivated and like he was finding the confidence to do things for himself. He went from rock bottom, to finding a home.
When Kevin first went to view his home he thought there was no way he was going to get it. But the letting agent said to put in an application. He couldn’t believe it when he got a call to say he’d got the flat.
“I was so emotional and happy.”
Kevin moved into his home at the start of 2023. And for him the right option was private renting. He now rents a modern, 2-bed flat with Modern Housing Ltd. Previously Kevin had lived in high-rise flats and in areas that he felt didn’t help his substance issues.
A lack of savings was a potential issue when a deposit was required for his flat, but his broker gave him a list of charities to try that could help, Kevin took a deep breath and he went for it, calling round them all. He sat in the letting agent’s office worrying that he wouldn’t find the money in time. They told him to relax and when the manager returned, they even said they could wait a few more days if they needed to. The letting agents were really engaged with the process and were reassuring Kevin at each stage. He found the financial help he needed for the deposit.
Kevin says the best thing about his new home is the environment. He has an older neighbour who puts plant pots out and books at the end of the block. His neighbours help with his bin if he’s not there. As he drives back to his home he can see fields and forests.
“It’s so quiet – no door slamming, no bad smells and dodgy people hanging round. Everyone I’ve met in the housing complex is friendly.”
Kevin feels like life is falling into place now and he feels like the support he got from his broker played a big part in that.
“He listened and he didn’t judge me. He said this is what we’re going to do, this is what we’re going to try.
And Kevin’s advice for veterans?
“Go to a charity that specialises in whatever your needs are. If it’s housing, go to HOS.”