Gideon’s Story
Gideon experienced homelessness for the first time in his 60s. He has now had the time and space to focus on his health and hobbies
“I’m a local man, proud East Londoner! I was born in Peckham, but moved between Hackney and East Ham for years after that. I had my own place in East Ham for about fifteen years, but in the Covid years I was finding things really difficult, and when my landlord wanted his flat back, I was evicted.
“It can be an issue of pride when you realise you have nowhere to go, and for a while I was sofa-surfing with friends. I’d never been homeless at any point in my life before this, and you don’t realise it can happen to you until it does. Becoming homeless forced me to think about and rectify my past, so that I could move forward.
“I did end up sleeping on the streets for a while, after I couldn’t stay with friends any longer. It was lucky that I was in touch with an elder in my community who had someone coming to give me food, and looking up homelessness services for me. I eventually got an interview with Your Place, so I came in to meet them, and was really happy to be offered a place.
"now I have someone looking out for me, I can look after myself again"
“Veronica has been a great key worker for me; I see her often and she’s helped me stay calmer about some of the issues I’ve been facing. I hadn’t addressed them before, but now I have someone looking out for me, I can look after myself again.
“I was getting mental health support from the hospital, and now have a Schizophrenia diagnosis, but it doesn’t define me. I’m a singer and songwriter, that’s my passion, and I love performing whenever I can. I always talk with Veronica about the things that are positive in my life, and she says she’s seen a big difference in my attitude towards challenges in my life. The way she sees things really inspires me; we have great talks and she understands what I’m going through.
“I’m now on a housing waiting list, so I am really keen to move forward. I know I can do things much better than before, and having this space has allowed me to appreciate the little things, like moments of kindness I’ve experienced here. They really matter.”
