Jake’s story

Rebuilding stability after homelessness and addiction

Finding housing is only part of the story. For people who have lived through addiction, trauma and years of instability, rebuilding confidence and routine can take time.

At 53, Jake has a home of his own for the first time.

He lives in a flat just outside Salisbury. His furniture is in place, his bills are organised, and he is slowly building the kind of everyday stability that many people take for granted. He enjoys finding affordable furniture locally and making the space feel like his own.

In 2021, Jake was sleeping rough in Bath after many years of instability and drug addiction. At the time, he was in poor physical health and had nowhere stable to live.

Jake moved into an Alongside supported housing property in Salisbury in September 2023. As support staff got to know him, they learned more about the experiences that had shaped his life. He had grown up in an unstable environment and began using hard drugs as a teenager to cope with difficult experiences from childhood.

Over time, addiction, insecure housing and survival became deeply intertwined. Jake spent years moving between rough sleeping, sofa surfing and unstable relationships, often finding himself back in difficult situations when things in his life broke down.

Before moving into supported housing, he had already started taking steps to manage his addiction through treatment. Once he arrived at Alongside, he continued engaging with support and working towards something more stable. There were setbacks and difficult periods along the way, but he kept going.

For Jake, the challenge was never only about having somewhere to live. Years of instability had also affected his confidence and the way he saw himself.

“I think after a while you just assume people have already made their mind up about you,” he says. “They see the addiction, or that you’ve been homeless, and that’s it. You sort of start believing that about yourself as well.”

Alongside managing his recovery, Jake also found many day-to-day tasks difficult to face. Sorting out bills, speaking to banks, making phone calls, dealing with benefits and managing paperwork could all feel stressful and hard to manage alone.

After spending years focused on survival, those systems often felt difficult to navigate with confidence.

At Alongside, support staff worked through things with Jake step by step. Calls were made together. Paperwork was organised. Slowly, routines started to build.

“People think stuff like sorting bills or making calls is simple, but when your head’s all over the place it’s really not,” Jake says. “Having someone sit down with me and go through it properly made it feel more manageable.”

As life became more settled, Jake started to imagine a different future. He wanted a place of his own and the chance to live more independently. At times, he found it difficult not to think about the years that had passed, but support staff encouraged him to focus on what still lay ahead.

In January 2026, Jake was offered a flat just outside Salisbury.

Although he was excited, living alone for the first time also brought anxiety. There were bills to set up, utilities to organise, furniture to move and new routines to establish.

Support staff helped break everything down into manageable steps, working through practical tasks one at a time. Bills were arranged so they came out shortly after Jake received his benefits, helping him clearly manage what he had left each month. A folder was also created containing important documents, account details and contact numbers so everything was easy to find in one place.

Slowly, Jake began to settle into his new home.

He has now been living in his flat for two months. His bills are manageable, and he feels more confident about maintaining his tenancy. His home is calm, settled and well looked after.

“Having my own place still feels a bit strange sometimes, if I’m honest,” he says. “But in a good way. It’s the first time I’ve properly felt like I’ve got my own space and I can start thinking about what’s next, instead of just getting through the day.”

Rebuilding stability took time, patience and support. For Jake, having a home has meant having a place where life feels calmer, more manageable and more settled.

His story also reflects how experiences of homelessness and addiction can affect confidence, trust and the ability to imagine a different future. Being treated with patience and without judgement can make a real difference while that stability is rebuilt.

Name changed to protect privacy. Image used for illustrative purposes.