Crossways, our Winter accommodation project, closed its doors on 1st April. We wanted to highlight the stories of some of our guests and how our person-centred approach can help those on the streets get the support they need to start turning their lives in a more positive direction.
‘D’ was a 62 year old man with complex physical and mental health needs. ‘D’ also had issues with alcohol dependency. Following eviction from a private rent, he was offered temporary accommodation by SCDC, but it was not suitable due to its distance from the services he needed to access in Cambridge. The behaviour of his associates resulted in the loss of this placement, and he travelled to the city preparing to sleep rough.
Cambridge Access Surgery CAS were concerned that ‘D’s health could quickly deteriorate if he returned to the streets.
CAS worked with our team at Crossways, and Cambridge City Council agreed an exemption from verifying ‘D’ as a rough sleeper, meaning we could offer him an immediate room and support from our partner agencies and volunteers.
‘D’ was experiencing suicidal ideation when he first moved in to Crossways, but with support from our Change, Grow, Live (CGL) colleagues he began to address his alcohol dependency. As ‘D’ felt more settled and willing to accept help, CAS supported him in applying for PIP and other benefits.
‘D’ was able to make a HomeLink application, with continued help from the Crossways team, and was offered a flat in a sheltered housing scheme close to the support services he needed.
“Seeing someone put their key in their own front door for the first time after a period of rough sleeping was a very special moment”. (Lis Silver, ITAC CEO)
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