“I think the most difficult thing about experiencing homelessness was the wet, the rain. That was very hard… Had I not gone to the Clock Tower Sanctuary, I think I’d probably not been doing as well as I am now. It’s been a big, big thing for me. And they were very welcoming as well when I first came in.
“Clock Tower has been a good base of support for me. I had really good help from the staff, getting information about different homeless support networks. They were always good with following through, like checking up on the details for me. It’s also been good for food because I’m not very good at cooking, so it’s been good to go somewhere where I can eat cooked food basically every day. You can meet people there as well, people your age, so it’s a good place to hang out, a good place to eat, and it’s a good place to get advice from.
“Getting into supported accommodation was a big achievement for me, and that was due to a lot of support from the Clock Tower. Before getting into supported accommodation, I was living in a tent, and I had a lot of support then as well. I think it took about a month, or three weeks, to get housed in supported, so that was good.
“I’m living in a flat now, which is very nice. I’ve got my own place, and it’s a lifetime tenancy, so I can be there for life now, so I’m in a very good situation now. I’ve got my own place where I can be quite safe, it’s a gated community so I feel quite safe there. It’s a good base for improving myself further, like getting diagnosed for autism, maybe the possibility of getting into work. It’s a good place as well for my friends to come around. I’ve got it all furnished and I can have friends, some friends from the Clock Tower come around as well.
“I have a friend who’s staying with me now and then, because he’s homeless, and I got him into the Clock Tower Sanctuary, so hopefully he’ll use it while he’s down here.”
