I’m Elizabeth and I’m currently living in temporary accommodation. I am a care leaver, having been fostered then adopted as a newborn baby by two middle-class parents. The reason I was adopted is because I was born to a mother and father who broke up. According to my mother she was hurt badly by him and there was domestic abuse in my family.
My adopted mum is a schoolteacher, artist, piano and violin teacher. Both my parents are degree-educated. We lived in a small village in a quiet area. We had a big garden, a Labrador and a King Charles dog. The only time I had a stable, positive, safe home was when living with my adopted parents.
Now I live in temporary accommodation (TA) provided by Westminster Council. It is disconcerting not knowing where you are going to be housed and whether the place will be suitable. Before I moved into this TA, I was living in a women’s refuge after fleeing domestic abuse. It is sad that as an adult, I have suffered in the same way that my mother did.
I have a history of moving from TA to TA. So far, I have lived in over 20 different places all over the southeast and Hampshire. Some places have been unsuitable and sometimes the conditions are awful. Some have been very unsafe. I have mainly felt unsupported for most of my life.
However, I really like where I live at the moment. It is in a central London location, near where I used to work as a make-up artist. Being there brings back positive memories. It’s clean, the staff are friendly and there is support for people who have had a challenging life and background. Plus non-stop shops, bars and restaurants are on my doorstep.
It is such a relief to live somewhere clean, because the conditions of the properties I have lived in in the past have varied massively: some have had issues with damp, mould and infestation. Others have had poorly maintained facilities, which caused me much concern and anxiety.
I think what is most difficult about TA is having to live with so many different people, some of whom you can get on well with, but others of whom might be difficult or even dangerous. Both men and women live in my building. Having unpleasant encounters adds to my distress.
In this property, there is a manager on site from 9-5 during the week and a concierge and the security staff 24/7. This makes me feel a lot safer (and on a less serious note, means if I get any packages delivered, I can always pick them up).
This week I have been getting up early as I am trying to get back into work, and I have seen two employment advisers. I loved having a make-up and beauty career, but experiencing domestic abuse has made it difficult for me to stay in one place, and also has contributed to the depression, anxiety and ADHD I struggle with. All of this makes finding continuous work difficult, but I’m determined to try.
I’m very lucky to have been housed here. When I feel sad or scared I remind myself of that. I just think to myself: “it’s okay because I live in a beautiful area—an area that I worked in when I was 18.” I remind myself this is where I spent the best days of my life back in my 20s. It gives me hope to think that I am back in a place where I had some stability. The only problem is, with TA, you never know when you might have to move on again.
This column is a companion piece to our larger investigation into temporary accommodation, which you can read here.
