Henry's story

Just as Henry's marriage broke down, his parents became very unwell. He had to go to Nigeria to look after them, and sadly, one of them died. But when he returned home to the UK, he had nowhere to live.

“When I came back, I was homeless. It was horrible. I stayed with someone my friend knew, but it was too much for him.

“One day, he said I needed to leave immediately. My heart was palpitating. In the morning I had to leave and was roaming about from one place to another trying to get support. I went to the council, and they said it was congested. They said people with children are priority, and they are right. I couldn’t cope anymore. There were no options for me, and I didn’t know what to do.

"A friend told me about Crisis. The lady that I first met really assisted me.

“Crisis got me a B&B for a week and was talking to the council to try and get them to help. After the B&B, I was moving from one place to the next and sleeping wherever there was an opportunity for me.

“It is not good for someone to experience homelessness. It is a very traumatic experience. Whether you’re on the streets or you are staying with someone temporarily, you don’t have your freedom at all."

Henry was housed three months after he contacted Crisis and has a room in shared accommodation.

“For me, having a home is like being on top of the world. When you have a room to yourself, and you can sleep and wake up when you want, it’s everything.

“My lead worker is a professional with great humanity. Even if I had lots of questions, she would listen to me and assist me to her best means.

“Crisis is quick to assist you. They listen to your case. They assess you; they will go to any length to make sure they solve your problem for you. I believe that Crisis has people of goodwill.

"I go to IT classes at the Skylight twice a week. I can use the computer a bit and email. I’m also in the Christmas choir, I love singing.

“My hope for the future is to contribute positively to society. I like working and I like doing charity work and volunteering. It’s a very good experience. I can never forget Crisis; they are an organisation that will live with me until I die.”