Susan’s story
Following relationship breakdowns and declining health Susan found herself in a poor financial situation, after having to leave work. She experienced homelessness for several years, having no option but to live in a caravan temporarily placed in people’s yards, then she slept on a wooden pallet in a friend’s shed until that property was sold. When that happened Susan* resorted to sleeping in her car with her pets. Susan felt socially isolated and vulnerable.
Susan connected with MADCOW (Make A Difference, Change our World) who referred her to Haven Home Safe (HHS) for an Intake and Assessment Planning appointment.
Susan met with Lynn, her HHS assessment and case management worker who asked Susan some questions to understand her circumstances better. Susan understood the lack of housing supply and was happy to be considered for a room in a boarding house.
Susan was booked an appointment to be added to the Victorian Housing Register (VHR). Advised of the waitlist, Susan added regional areas to her VHR application, as she thought it would be a calmer lifestyle and environment, she was advised this would increase her chances of being offered a home quicker.
“Despite so many negative experiences for Susan, she remained positive which was a credit to her,” said Lynn.
Lynn was able to provide Susan with one night’s emergency accommodation in a local motel so she could shower, relax, and have some brief respite from her circumstances.
Within four days, Susan was allocated a room in a local boarding house. She made herself at home, using her resourcefulness to make her room a cozy and relaxing space.
Susan’s positive outlook and presence soon spread throughout the boarding house with other renters and the managers providing glowing reviews about the positive energy she brought.
Four months later, Susan was contacted by the Department of Families Fairness and Housing (DFFH) and offered a unit in a town from her priority list. The unit, however, was four hours away and she needed to inspect it before she was eligible to accept it.
Susan reached out to Lynn who was able to use Haven Home Safe’s Emergency Relief funding to help Susan with fuel vouchers to afford the trip.
Susan inspected and accepted the unit. Coming back to the boarding house she packed up her belongings and got ready to move. Susan had no basic white goods or furniture for her unit.
Through Haven Home Safe’s Emergency Relief funding, Lynn was able to help Susan secure some basic whitegoods to start her new life in her new home.
Susan wishes to really say that she is just an ordinary woman and she says these circumstances can happen to anyone.
After settling into her new home, Susan reached out to Haven Home Safe to express her gratitude to Lynn and the support she had provided. Here is what Susan wrote.
“I would like to pass on my great thanks to Lynn for the very professional and friendly service she provided me. Lynn was extremely helpful, and it is greatly appreciated. I called Lynn because I was homeless, living in my car.
As a 65-year-old homeless person you don’t always get treated with courtesy and respect, but Lynn did.
Firstly, she arranged for a motel stay to keep me safe and helped me with my placement into a crisis hostel. Here I was off the street and able to establish a rental history.
In the meantime, Lynn processed my application for public housing with priority ranking and now I am overjoyed to be living in a clean safe little unit.
On top of that Lynn provided me with financial assistance for fuel and household appliances.
I am no longer a statistic of a homeless mature aged woman but a very happily established one – a great outcome!
Thank you immensely to Lynn and Haven Home Safe.
I am one of your success stories.”
*Susan is not the client’s real name.
