Francis
Faced with sudden eviction and homelessness, Francis and his family turned to the Housing and Homelessness team for assistance with housing association applications.
Francis and his family came to Glasgow from Nigeria in 2022 on a student visa. They were renting a flat privately but were forced to leave suddenly when it transpired that the landlord had been subletting the flat to them without permission. The landlord appeared one day, told them to leave immediately, threatened them, and assaulted Francis. They fled, leaving behind their belongings, paperwork, and IDs. Francis’s student visa meant he and his family had No Recourse to Public Funds. This, combined with a lack of credit history and UK guarantor, meant they were not eligible for homelessness assistance. Further, finding a private rented flat with a reputable agency in a hurry proved impossible.
After Francis was referred to Positive Action in Housing, the Housing and Homelessness team advocated on the family’s behalf to the Glasgow City Council to provide temporary housing under the Children (Scotland) Act, and the family moved to a hotel, where we helped them with housing association applications. Very quickly, a housing association offered them a flat close to their previous flat, where the family are now settling in. Francis has resumed studying, his partner is working fulltime, and the children are attending school.
Getting a family accommodation in Glasgow as a master’s student was a nightmare, despite demonstrating our financial capability. Our wonderful dream of moving to Scotland began to look like it was a life mistake. I am happy today that we found a home with Positive Action in Housing, with your wonderful support and commitment.