Name:

Paul

Age:

68

Help Received:

Linked in to support agencies to keep him in his house

Paul was on the verge of being evicted from his home of 30 years due to debts built up on his rent after a difficult time for him with his health. A pensioner with few family or friends who could provide support, he was looking at ending up on the street.

At a point of crisis, Paul went down to the nearby Brentwood Day Centre to see if they could help. He was told by his landlord he will be evicted if in 1 week he didn’t pay rent arrears in full. With limited friends and family network, he was looking at ending up at the Bed Every Night emergency night shelter or worse - rough sleeping. Fortunately John, the manager at Brentwood, referred the case to the Real Change.

The Real Change You Made

With only a few days before Paul was evicted, Real Change contacted local organisation Rochdale Housing Initiative to try and address the rent arrears he’d built up. RHI were able to cover the backlog to keep Paul in his home, but also with the help of Brentwood make a referral to Adult Social Care to ensure Paul got the support he needed so the problem wouldn’t arise again.

Although Real Change only made a small financial contribution to keep Paul in his home, the campaign was able to draw together the relevant partners to ensure that he didn’t fall through the gaps and end up homeless. It is often hard to know where to turn, particularly if you are isolated like Paul, but with amazing partners like Brentwood and RHI, Paul’s story shows that together we can make a difference.

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