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[Eve Young, Housing Options Broker speaking] Sandra came to us through a project we were running with Nationwide, that was the bank she was banking with and she had picked up a leaflet about Housing Options Scotland.
[Sandra speaking] I didn’t know where I was going to go. I thought I’d end up out on the street. I was in such a state.
[Eve speaking] Sandra was in quite a lot of debt that had come about through arrears and her husband moving into a care home. So she was in quite a tricky situation and she was kind of thinking about selling her house.
So that’s when she first came in contact with Moira, who provided her with some initial advice.
Throughout the process Sandra was very adamant that she wanted to stay in Paisley. We were thinking about ways for her to be able to stay in the area.
Moira took Sandra to see some sheltered housing complexes as an alternative option.
Unfortunately this wasn’t really a suitable option for Sandra as she found that the complexes she went to see were a wee bit small.
[Sandra speaking] Council offered me one on Windsor Crescent but it was 14 or 15 stairs up and I said “I cannae go up all these stairs”.
[text on screen] At this point Sandra had to sell her property. Housing Options Scotland continued to offer her support during this difficult time.
[Eve speaking] The owner of the property, that she sold, decided to rent the property back to her for a wee while. So she could stay in her own home.
During this time, we were basically putting in a lot of applications to different housing providers but she was kind of told that she’d be waiting quite a while because of the demand in the area.
We had like a couple of rounds of trying to get an application on. So eventually they did take her case on.
Sandra got a lot of support from some of our housing buddies like Shirley, Lindsey. So that really helped her to fill out the application forms ‘cause it can be really overwhelming.
A sheltered housing provider got in touch with me and said that they had a property that was available. It was really close to the area that Sandra had previously been living in.
So I did think that it would be a really good opportunity for her.
[Sandra speaking] I says, I’m going to see a house in Lochalsh. I says, if I like it, I says to the lass, I’ll take it. If I don’t like it, I’ll stay where I am.
I come in the door. Well, I think I’ll take this. It just felt like home.
[Eve speaking] Now that Sandra’s moved in to her property, she’s really made it her own.
[Sandra speaking] I wanted a fresh start. So Housing Options Scotland gave me a fresh start, which I’m very, very grateful for. I really am.
Sandra, a lady in her 70s, approached Housing Options Scotland as she had fallen into financial difficulties, including mortgage arrears, after her husband had sadly passed away. Sandra was struggling with debt and her home was at risk of being repossessed. Sandra was understandably very stressed and upset.
Our Homeless Housing Options Broker, Eve, spoke to Sandra and helped her to complete a Get Help form. Eve contacted her local authority to arrange a Housing Options interview to make sure she was on their housing applications, while Shirley, one of our volunteer “Housing Buddies”, helped her to complete housing lists. Sandra was very worried she would end up roofless, but Eve reassured her that wouldn’t happen.
Shortly afterwards, Sandra’s house was put on the market. Eve contacted the local authority again, this time to ask if Sandra could make a homeless application. Initially the local authority refused, they said that because her housing wasn’t being repossessed, they wouldn’t accept her as homeless. After some help from a solicitor, the local authority allowed her to complete an application.
Soon after, the house was sold. The local authority arranged for her belongings to be put into storage. The date for this was on Sandra’s wedding anniversary, which caused her great upset. While this was happening, Eve continued to support her. Sandra had no priority with mainstream housing associations, but due to her age, she did have priority with sheltered accommodation. Sandra wanted to stay locally, as her support network all lived nearby and she had been in the area for a long time.
The buyer of the property allowed Sandra to rent the house while she secured alternative housing, which also meant that, happily, she wouldn’t have to put her belongings into storage.
Around a month later, a property became available through Hanover. Sandra and Eve went to view the property and Sandra absolutely loved it. Within 4 days, Sandra had signed the tenancy agreement and had the keys for her new home.
Sandra is delighted with her new home and has now made it her own, with new carpets and furniture. “As soon as I moved in it felt like home” she said. “Housing Options Scotland have really been brilliant. I would recommend them to anyone. If it hadn’t been for Eve, I don’t know where I would have ended up.”