I was 19 when I first became homeless and the terror of that event has never left me. It is a situation I would still be in today were it not for the kindness of my landlords.
The news has been filled recently with stories of buy-to-let owners being driven out of the market by a Government that has not thought about the effects on tenants like me, for whom it will be very difficult to find a new home.
In 2014, my mother’s home was repossessed, despite there being just 10 years left on her mortgage. This was due to a Littlewoods debt that had spiralled out of control, which my mum was unable to repay.
The local council placed us in a hostel for a year, before telling us that they would not be able to rehouse us. Because I was a student, they said it was my university’s responsibility to help me find a home.
I now work for a local council, finding temporary accommodation for people, and know that I could have appealed this decision, but we were not aware of this at the time.
My mother and I were homeless between 2015 and 2017, forced to separate and live on the sofas of friends and family members. I also spent the occasional night sleeping in my car.
We had no real plan for how to get back on our feet. We were initially reluctant to go into the private sector due to the high costs – my mum didn’t earn much, and I was a student with a part-time job.
But luckily, I managed to find a two-bedroom flat on Gumtree, and we moved in in March 2017. Two landlords took a chance on me and my mum, and rescued us from homelessness.