Carla first came to us in April this year, after twenty years of on-and-off rough sleeping. This time around, she was sleeping in a tent near the Strand, strategically placing her tent outside of restaurants with heaters, to try to get a bit of warmth.

She first became homeless due to a relationship breakdown, which led to a spiral of drinking and drug use. And from here, she faced two decades of instability.

Rough sleeping as a woman comes with its own specific set of dangers. As a woman alone, Carla was unfortunately well aware of this, and had to have her own safety on her mind at all times.

“I was constantly having to be alert. I used to drink a lot back then too, I was blocking a lot of it out.”

This lack of safety was a catalyst for Carla in approaching The Connection for support. When she did, she was assigned a key worker, Chloe. Chloe’s immediate priority was to get Carla off the streets, and into a safe, secure home. It took some time to build up trust, and build a relationship with Carla, and during this time she used The Connection’s services. She was able to access hot food and drinks, use the laundry room, and use the showers. She also attended our women-only group on Wednesdays, a safe space for women to access support.

Once Chloe was able to gain Carla’s trust, she secured her a room in a women-only hostel in central London.

“If it wasn’t for Chloe, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Carla has now been in the hostel for a couple of months and is flourishing. She is making real progress towards resolving her alcohol dependency, receiving comments from so many people that she is looking well. She feels much better, too.

“I feel a lot better in myself. I had some negative experiences on the streets. Now I feel a lot happier, more relaxed, and more at ease with myself. Now I can look forwards, not back.”

At the hostel, Carla has found safety and stability. With her own space, she can look after herself, and crucially, have access to showers, cooking facilities, and a warm bed. She is also enjoying taking part in activities at the hostel, provided by staff at The Connection, particularly the art classes and gardening classes. She has been working hard on her progress, and is optimistic about her next steps.

Chloe says “I think Carla doesn’t recognize her own resilience, and determination, and the part that she’s played. Really, it’s all been Carla – I’ve only been there supporting her, and giving a gentle nudge when needed, but it’s all her hard work.”

Chloe and Carla continue to work together, and they hope to find Carla her own place soon.