Finished university and homeless in 3 days

[quicknamechange10]

Hello - I am a semi-regular poster and I have changed my name for this.

I apologise in advance as this is not an AIBU question, but I did not know where else to post and this board seems to have a lot of traffic so I am hoping posters may be able to help me out with providing some info or suggestions.

I have just finished a university course outside of London and need to move back to London because my student tenancy in halls has ended. Unfortunately I have found myself in a really precarious position housing-wise in that I do not have any family save for my mum and I can't stay with her as she is living in a home for vulnerable people with complex needs and her tenancy forbids it. Plus there is management on sight and they keep everything quite tightly controlled.

My friends mostly live abroad as they are international students I met at university and the friends that I do have here in the UK I can't stay with as they either have precarious housing situations themselves or (in the case of two of them) quite conservative parents who would not welcome a visitor even short term.

My plan for where I was going to move to has fallen through and I have had quite significant mental ill health throughout my course but particularly in recent months (major clinical depression), for which I am receiving counselling and I am also on a high dose of anti-depressants.

My question then, is does anyone know of any housing schemes in London that are for people who are temporarily and urgently in need of housing?

I have a small amount of money thatI could contribute each month towards rent in a shared house, or as a lodger, but it would definitely fall short of any market rates, hence looking for something subsidised.

I don't think that I will be able to claim benefits (although I am going to put in an application) and I am not in a position to be able to work full time at the moment.

Any suggestions or pointers towards subsidised housing schemes (through charitable organisations or similar) would be hugely appreciated.

Thank you ever so much for reading

Have you spoken to your university to see if they can assist you?

Try lotus housing

Speak to your university. They will support you. Can you stay in your current city, I'm sure housing will be easier to find and cheaper anywhere but London.

Do you have to move back to such an expensive housing area immediately?

I’ve never used a house sitting site, but might that be something to buy you a couple of weeks to look into alternatives?

Getting cheap housing in london would be practically impossible. Could you look further afield? Find a HMO in a nice town somewhere?

I work at a uni - definitely speak to them, and I would also consider whether you can stay in your current city, even short term while you do proper research into shared housing / a lodging situation in London as you’re not going to be able to afford anything more than that (and nor can the VAST majority of uni graduates in London!) Really well done for completing your course given all you’ve gone through; you’ll get through this too

Why do you need to move back to London? It’ll be more expensive that wherever you are now.

Speak to your university housing office, if your current accomodation hasn’t been taken by another student by now and all courses have started you might be able ti stay there longer while you fix a longer term plan.

Do you have a job lived up, or longer term financial support?

You say you can’t work full time, but would part time live in work in short term?

You could try Emmaus (emmaus.org.uk/what-we-do/communities/) or Kings arms project

Again, just to buy time - holiday let in an out of season area (privately owned caravan on a basic park?) may be cheaper for a few weeks than anything else.

Why do you need to live back to London? Can't you love to a cheaper pet of the country?
Have a look at live in care jobs or hotel jobs that come with accommodation.

Would you be interested in being a property guardian? - www.global-guardians.co.uk/property-guardians. The idea is you pay a more affordable rent to take care of a property that would otherwise be unoccupied.

Property guardian rooms require you to have a job I believe.

Could you just walk round all the pubs, b&bs and youth hostels in London and ask for a bed in exchange for pot washing? I did this when I had nowhere to sleep abroad in my 20s. Ended up staying a bar/youth hostel for 3 months. Had my accomodation paid in return for 3 hours pot washing each night.

Why back to London?

Would not be more sensible to look for accomadation near uni? Declare yourself homeless to local council?

Another who is puzzled why you would move to the most expensive place to live, if you don't have a job there and don't have the reason of going to stay with family or a friend there.

If it has to be London, you could try the London Hostels Association lhalondon.com/ which might provide a stopgap.

Why do you have to move back to London? That sounds like a choice. Given it sounds like you have no support network there that can help you, I'd be looking at cheaper cities, flat shares, at least temporarily until you secure a job where you want and can afford prices in London

Declare yourself homeless where you are now and anywhere else that you have a local connection. You're mental health may make you a priority need bit if not you will at least get some pointers of where to look.

Why won't you get benefits?

*Your

London is great - but an awful place to live unless you have a job lined up. Must you be there?

You could look at something like
homeshareuk.org/ which arranges for people to move in with an older person for cheap rent in return for 10-15 hours a week of light assistance around the home. But this isn't something that would be ready in a few weeks - they need to background check you, check you are suitable and match you to a partner.

Thank you for all of the tips, links, and advice everyone! I really do appreciate it.

In response to those who have suggested that I ask my university for help - I have already done so and they have provided some help, by extending my contract, but it has now finished.

I need to be in London because I am due to start another course soon and it has already been paid for by a bursary, so now is the only opportunity to take up that place really. Its part of a career trajectory / qualification that I have already been studying for, for some time, and is also my opportunity to break out of generational poverty and begin to heal from mental illness.

The answer to they 'why won't you get benefits?' question is: because I am due to be a student again for 8 months shortly. My understanding is that students cannot claim benefits, but does anybody here know if they can claim housing benefit? I have tried to google this but the answers are unclear.

Thank you :)

A secondary but equally important reason as to why I need to be in London is because my Mum is there and she is someone who will need a degree (albeit a small one) of support, and also because I am her only family member it would be much better if I can be in close proximity to be able to visit her and take care of some of her needs. Definitely would not qualify me for a carer's allowance or anything like that though!

Name change fail but never mind! :)