How does it feel when you don’t know where you can stay, and you have a baby to support?  One of our young mums, Courteney shared her experience on national television news to highlight the issue of hidden homelessness and shares her story here …

Courteney was living with her partner’s parents but found herself homeless with her young son when their relationship broke down.  She relied on the hospitality of others moving around sofa surfing from place to place for over 3 months, never knowing where she would be able to sleep next.  “I used to tell my son that I was sorry for the way he was living.  It will live with me forever and I will have that guilt of starting his life off the wrong way,” Courteney told the reporters.  “I was worried that Social Services would take my son away because I didn’t have a stable home.” 

After contacting the local Council for help, Courteney was referred to the M3 Project for accommodation along with support from our workers.   She was offered a placement in a two-bed house which provided the stability she wanted.  Courteney went on to say, “It was really hard to process in my head, not being able to find a home, not being able to bring him up the way that other children are brought up, but we eventually got there, and we now have our own home.”