People of any background can become homeless, but there are vulnerable individuals who especially need our support.

Bahram* is one such person. He came to England as an unaccompanied minor from his home land of Afghanistan, having fled for safety reasons. Once he reached the age of 18, he had to reapply for refugee status as an adult, and was granted indefinite leave to remain.

He has survived an extremely difficult time since coming to England. About six years ago, he was attacked and severely beaten by a group of men, leaving him with permanent tinnitus and memory loss.

He found himself homeless again when a friend asked him to leave the home they had shared for a number of years. He was unemployed and had nowhere to call home. He said he felt completely on his own, just like when he first came to England.

Since moving into a scheme supported by Church Housing Trust, he has sat his citizenship exam and passed, a very proud day for him. At the scheme, he is known for always greeting people with a smile, and never feeling sorry for himself. He now intends to apply for a British passport.

He was offered a local authority property, which is unfurnished. As he had just started a part time job in a fast food establishment, he was refused a local welfare assistance grant to help with his resettlement into the community, even though his pay only amounts to £104 per week. He said it felt like all his hard work was not appreciated.

Church Housing Trust was able to give him a grant that allowed him to buy basic essentials for his flat. Bahram said “I could not have bought myself these things without the help of people like the Church Housing Trust.

“Now I can look forward and start to rebuild my life… Thank you very much, I really appreciate what you have done for me.”

*Name changed to protect identity.