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I enjoy helping people and enjoy seeing them move from a bad position to a better position with or without my help. I am particularly interested in the empowerment of individuals rather than their enablement.  I saw a precious example of enablement in a client recently. I interviewed Harry earlier this month. He had been granted his refugee status, and shortly after, began working part time, which I think is a credit to his resilience and determination.

Later accommodation was sourced for him and he applied for Universal Credit.  He was repeatedly sanctioned – had his award reduced as a penalty for not finding work as he explained to me.  His English was faltering but he explained that jobs weren’t plentiful in the area which he had been living in and he preferred to search for work physically because, as he readily conceded he has difficulties with using computers hence searching for work online is difficult for him – small wonder he hadn’t found work quickly.  I noticed that he had some difficulty inputting and extracting information from a computer. As a consequence of the sanctions, he found he could not pay the license fees at his accommodation, so he was evicted. I also wondered whether he had communicated this to his Work Coach and if he was receiving support with this.

I completed a referral for housing for him.  He needed to supply part of his digital ID and this was difficult for him, I was making a second request to him for this information and learned that he had found a job and accommodation that went with it. I questioned further and the agreement was in his name. He was due to start work the next day and didn’t need my housing referral. Good on him- a self-starter enabled and empowered to improve his situation despite limitations such as a language barrier.

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(Not a typo but an old East End saying)

The Supported Housing Regulatory Oversight Act 2023 gave the Secretary of State power to enforce licensing and standards in supported accommodation.  I noticed the effect of this act shortly after I started this role, some providers which we had used to house numerous clients started evicting them and stopped accepting referrals. It was a relief when new providers started offering properties – great I thought, they must have passed through the current regulations, and it will make housing easier. 

This is how I came to house Jo-Jo. He was a foreign national with status in the country, following a job loss, he became homeless. He told me of a disused garage he had been using for shelter.  We looked at properties and I referred him to a new provider, “Applemo” (fictitious name) who offered accommodation both to those who required supported accommodation and those who could live independently. There were no initial start-up costs either- it seemed too good to be true.

Jo- Jo was was Manna’s first referral to Applemo. The application was successful and he was to move in two days later. He was grateful, he bought me Chocolates and flowers to thank me but was concerned that the rent was rather high for a single room. I spoke to one of the Agents and was assured that Jo-Jo simply needed to apply to the council for assistance.

Four months later Jo- Jo called me to state that he was due to be made homeless. The council had initially refused to pay the rent demanded because, as he had suspected, the rent was too high. When he notified Applemo of this, they issued him with a new agreement, the rent was significantly lower and the providers had changed from Applemo to Batemo (fictitious name). As he received Universal Credit, requests for help with housing costs and change of the Landlord details would have to be communicated via his online journal. The DWP became suspicious of the latest change, and they investigated and learned that Applemo had no licence to rent out supported accommodation. In trying to contact them it was noticed that Applemo and its website had disappeared. Additionally, Batemo had served him with a notice to quit stating that he owed three months’ rent! He and five other households in his block, all recently accommodated by Applemo, would be evicted soon.

Once again, I interviewed Jo-Jo and looked for alternative accommodation; the DWP had directed him to report Applemo and I seconded this – rent arrears against his name could affect him in the future. I registered him with an organisation, which had a tried and trusted reputation with Manna for finding accommodation and referred him to view another property. Eight days later he was accommodated by our trusted partner, I did not pursue the issue of the arrears but I trust this issue will be resolved soon.

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His English was faltering but when he came, explained his situation and supplied supporting documents, I saw the case differently. They were a young couple and whilst fleeing the war in their country, his wife had travelled through Libya. I have heard stories from a few of my Refugee clients about the abuse and torture they have undergone. In this case the woman had been raped and was pregnant with the rapist’s child.

One of the documents he presented, in a passing sentence, paid tribute to them as a family unit, despite all that had happened. One document noted that being amongst her community had helped her cope with the ordeal she had suffered.  The housing offer, which they had received from a London Council, was in a far-flung part of England – I wasn’t convinced that her recovery would continue there particularly well, as there was an independent charity helping her now where she is living. Additionally, the couple were not asking to stay in the borough but within easy commuting distance of their Church, additionally, the husband had found work and was keen to start.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have supported the clients’ position, but my position changed. For the first time and because of the extraordinary circumstances, I supported a review request asking that the Council change their mind about their decision to make that final offer and close their case. I argued that her mental health would likely deteriorate if she accepted the offer and in turn this would affect the child and the husband, triggering Social Services and Mental Health expenditure.

We are presently waiting to see what the Council decides, I wish the couple the best.

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 If they have no means of supporting themselves, the options for assistance are few.   I’ve observed a cluster of “regulars” to the Manna who are in this difficult position.  Their continued visits testify to the support which they receive and the impact which Manna has upon their lives making their stay in the country less precarious.

Arty (not his real name) wants to apply for settled status in the UK. As he isn’t settled, his access to benefits is restricted and to housing even more so, unless he is working (then he would be able to rent privately) but he hasn’t been able to, owing to poor health. Additionally, all the paperwork necessary to demonstrate his stay in the UK had been stolen so I referred him to a specialist advice centre.   He was given an immigration appointment subsequently but had no funds for public transport to take him there, so my colleague gave him an Oyster card.

A week later, I interviewed another chap whom, I’ll call Nigel – who had overstayed his visa. In the time he had overstayed, his Mother had died in his home country which precipitated depression. He had been homeless in England for over ten years, various charities had helped him in that time, when he came to see me his Severe Emergency Weather Protocol (SWEP) placement was ending. The trigger for a SWEP is usually a forecast of three or more consecutive nights with a minimum temperature of zero degrees Celsius or lower. The government’s directive is that street homeless people should be placed in accommodation temporarily until the temperature rises above zero).  He seemed shocked when I told him that I could only apply for a night shelter for him because of his status. I did so, the application was accepted and thankfully he was placed a few days later.

He also had a charity helping him to regularize his immigration status, he was worried that he had not heard from them. I sent them a chaser email and learned there was a drop-in session which he could attend. After speaking with the immigration specialists, he learned that there was nothing that they could do for him at present- his circumstances did not constitute a strong case.

Theoretically this meant that he would have a place to sleep until March. In practice a few shelters will keep people like Nigel far longer than the period usually allowed for occupants without this issue and it helps immensely. Afterwards, if requested, Manna can then help plug other gaps with food shopping vouchers, clothing from the clothing store, Oyster cards or top ups, other practical items available here plus services which our clients can access.

Neither Arty nor Nigel qualified for assistance from NRPF teams; they are not “regulars” at Manna either but charities like ours continue to offer services to these service users enabling them to live here with dignity.

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