Malcolm (not real name) had been homeless on-and-off for over 3 years.  He was desperate to get some stability into his life. Unfortunately, he was wheelchair bound after loosing his leg to years of drug abuse. This made finding a property that met his requirements quite challenging. None of the hostels he looked at were suitable, so he was referred to our Street Life team which specialises in helping the ‘hard to house’.  Thankfully Malcolm was able to stay with various friends which kept him off the streets whilst the right property was being found for him.

Street Life worked at getting Malcolm priority housing status.  They linked him up with an   Occupational Therapist who helped him look for accommodation with the right adaptations.  Our team also helped Malcolm through the maze of form-filling needed to get him onto the right benefits. We registered him with a doctor and managed to source a better wheelchair to meet his specific needs.

Eventually the right property was found.  We arranged to view it with Malcolm who loved it so much, he signed for it there and then!  We then worked with Malcolm to apply for grants for furniture, food and utility top-ups as well as making sure all his benefits were registered to the correct property as he had been sofa-surfing for some considerable time!

After Malcolm’s first night in his new home, we called him to see how he had got on. Malcolm told us he had not slept in his own bed for years and it was amazing! To have his own place with everything he needed felt wonderful.

The following week we discovered Malcolm’s prepayment meter was out of his reach.  After discussing the problem with his energy provider, smart meters were installed – so avoiding the need for Malcolm to physically top them up.

Working together with Malcolm’s doctor and Occupational Therapist, he is now being measured for a prosthetic leg which will enable him to improve further on the quality of his life.

We continued to visit Malcolm in his new home for several weeks to see how he was settling in.  It was yet another housing success for the Street Life Team which has been helping the homeless and ‘hard to house’ in Bolton for the past 22 years.  Over the past 12 months along, the team has helped and advised over 430 individuals who were experiencing housing difficulties; and 138 individuals and families were housed directly because of the team’s efforts.  Malcolm calls into the office every now and then to let us know how well he is doing. He is a great example of how, when the right accommodation is found, it can be a life changer and a life saver!