Alcohol Use and Homelessness– Susan’s story

I moved to Rochester from Gravesend with a partner, and my relationship didn’t work out. I Was here for about a year when we split up, and I found myself on the street with other ‘street people’ who looked after me. I was the only woman in the group. Some of my friends were put into accommodation, but they wouldn’t house me as I kept going back to my abusive boyfriend. So, I started staying with my friends even though I shouldn’t have been there. Then, we all suffered a bereavement when one of the guys died, which was tough.

I had been cutting down on my alcohol and switched from strong to weak cider. Then, the week before Christmas, I bought four cans, and after drinking two cans, I realised I didn’t want anymore, so I quit. I was then sick for about a week and went on from there.

Pathways found me in doorways during their outreach as they did street counts. They realised I was serious about not going back on the streets and offered me accommodation. I was quite alcohol dependent, but Pathways has been amazing. It has been a bit of a journey. I now feel safe. On the streets, I never felt safe, even when I was with others. Sometimes, when I was on my own, especially on Friday or Saturday nights, they were the worst, which is when I felt more vulnerable. When I realised, I couldn’t take anymore, and I made the change.

I was in one of the houses where I should not have been, and Pathways came to do a welfare check. I told them I was going to die if they did not help me. I was ready to stop, and they met me at the point where I needed help. If it were not for them, I don’t know what would have happened to me. The staff at Mont View are absolutely amazing! Everyone in the house has their own issues; substance use, mental health, etc., but we all help each other. If someone is down or upset, we have a chat and support them. It is high support, so there are rules we must follow and there is counselling available to us if we want it.

I am going to community rehab next week and once I am done, I can apply for a home through Home Start and take it from there.

I feel ready for a change this time. Pathways has given me the stability and the time to get myself together. The counselling has really helped me as she doesn’t give advice but lets me figure things out through the questions she asks.

Lately, I go to my appointments, and I sit in the garden and read or have a potter in town. I go to my parents at weekends and see my son and his family. The family support is vital, and I am so happy they support me. They are pleased I am no longer on the streets as previously, when they received a phone call in the night, or if someone knocked on the door in the evening, they thought something had happened to me. So, it’s a relief for them to see me stable.

If I had to advise the government on how to support the homeless, I would say we need more funding, more housing, more education around homelessness and more access to organisations such as Pathways so people feel supported. The council’s options are limited, and the system needs reform.

Sam is my mentor and was when I was on the street. Her and Donna from the council were very patient with me. Some other organisations, you can tell they are just doing it as a business. Some take the accommodation away if you slip up without realising that after being homeless, people are frightened of the responsibility of sustaining their accommodation, so they need support to do so.

Now, I live day to day. I get up in the morning and get through the day. But in the future, once I have my own place, I’d like to have a little job doing what I did before working as a home helper or in a charity shop.

I am one of the lucky ones.