Homeless Awareness Week: Mike’s journey through homelessness in Exeter

Published: 10 October 2024

To mark Homeless Awareness Week 2024 the Council is highlighting the range of support services for anyone homeless or facing homelessness in Exeter.

In his own words Mike explains what it’s like to sleep rough on the streets, how he got there, and how he was helped to move on.

For information about accessing services and for more on the Council’s Homeless Awareness Week visit the Council’s website: exeter.gov.uk/homelessawareness/

Hi, my name is Mike. I left school at the age of 16 and went on to train as a mechanic and engineer.

After three years, I completed my apprenticeship but found it wasn’t the job for me. I then went on to repair static caravans for a mate for many years, which led me into truck driving.

After making a bad decision, I lost my licence. I then trained as a chef and worked in many 5-star restaurants, and this is when my problems arose.

In 2020, I found myself losing my job as a chef due to mental health issues, which had happened a couple of times before. Losing my job also meant losing my accommodation, which was a perk of the job, so I found myself on the streets.

Living on the streets was hard but came with a sense of freedom—you had no ties and could do what you wanted when you wanted. However, it was not the life for me.

I was drinking every day until I passed out and taking drugs just to make the days go quicker and feel more fun, but it wasn’t. It was a downward spiral into a very dark hole in my life.

I lost all my family due to my drug and alcohol addiction, lost all hope for life, and many times tried to take my own life. I was arrested and sectioned under the Mental Health Act which, to my surprise, was a step forward because I was finally diagnosed with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder.

After speaking to a psychiatrist, I was put on medication to manage my EUPD, but this didn’t solve my problem of being homeless.

So next, I got in contact with a small homeless charity called Gateway in Sidmouth, and they helped me with somewhere warm to go and get one hot meal a day.

Together with Gateway, we contacted the Council to get them to come out and witness me living on the streets. They came out and woke me up at 3.30am—wasn’t happy about that—but it was another step forward.

It took two weeks before I heard from them, telling me I had an interview at Gabriel House. I also went on to open cafés in Plymouth and Bournemouth and was part of the Steering Group at BCHA, (the charitable housing association running Gabriel House), which aimed to improve the lives of BCHA residents.

I didn’t sleep all night, thinking, “Will I get into Gabriel House? Will they accept me?” I made my way to Exeter, and walking around Exeter was scary as I was used to being in a small seaside town.

I made my way to Gabriel House, where I met a lovely and welcoming lady called Alison. We went to the interview room and had a chat about my life and what they wanted to see me do while I lived under Gabriel House’s roof.

The interview went great—they accepted me. I was over the moon. While I was at Gabriel House, I started keeping to myself, but then out of nowhere, a stocky lad said hello.

I was a bit shy to start off with, but then I introduced myself, and he was called Dan. Days went by where we would say hello and carry on our way.

I didn’t realise that we would become friends, and then he introduced me to a lovely lady called Rebecca, and we all seemed to get on well. Things were looking good for me. We went on to open the café in Gabriel House and were getting on great, but four months in, I was evicted after a heated argument with another resident.

I was back on the streets, but Dan, whom I had got to know very well, kindly said I could stay at his flat for the weekend—thank God for that as it was November and very cold.

Throughout the weekend, I was stressing about what I was going to do next, and God sent an angel—Alison had managed to get me into an Exeter City Community Trust property, but I had to wait for the room to be ready.

So, back to the Council to see if they could help. I stayed at a B&B out of area for two weeks, where it was freezing—the heating would only come on for two hours a day, so I used my head and put the hairdryer on to pump out hot air into my room.

After the two weeks were over, I met a lady called Janet from Exeter City Community Trust at Exeter bus station and moved into my room with an ensuite.

I thought it was great—I had a roof over my head, and that was great, but I still had the matter of my drink and drug problem hanging over me. This property was a dry house.

A few weeks in, I was doing okay but still having bad thoughts due to the drugs and drink—they were ruling my life. Every month when I was paid, I would have spent it all within a week on drugs and alcohol and was living off the food bank.

This led to warning letter after warning letter about my service charge that I wasn’t paying. One day, I had this thought of going drug and alcohol-free, becoming totally clean, but I couldn’t see my life without them both—it almost seemed normal to be taking them.

Now, I can say I am 10 months clean and sober. I continued to live at the Exeter City Community Trust property for about three months after becoming clean and sober and then moved into my own flat.

I am now happily living by myself sustainably and financially. My health has started to improve—I’m in the gym most days and have lost nearly six stone in weight.

I am trying to foresee a future in the fire service. I have also started a community café with my two friends to give back to the community at St David’s Church and help Alison with her inspiring change project where needed.

Thank you for reading my journey. There is hope for everyone out there. If I can do it, you can too.

Thanks to the services I have been engaged with—you have all really saved my life.