I once delivered a starter pack to a client who had never had their own tenancy. Their new ‘home’ was a bedsit with a living room/bedroom small kitchen and bathroom, it wasn’t particularly inviting. The client had little money and just seemed to be overwhelmed and lost. I brought in the starter pack and the clients eyes widened like he couldn’t believe it was all for him. We sat together on the floor and looked through the treasure trove of items. We made the bed with the new quilt, pillow and covers provided, we put up some curtains as they were provided, we did a little cleaning with the cleaning products provided, we put the few kitchen items that were provided in the cupboards and plugged in the kettle and toaster. He offered me a drink and said, “now I have a home”.
Housing Advisor,
Barnsley Homeless Prevention Team