From Runner to Overcomer

Living in rented accommodation can come with its challenges, and for tenants like Stella, these challenges can become overwhelming.

Stella had been a tenant in her property for over twenty years and had experienced a range of issues in that time, causing her significant distress and anxiety, but the most recent event impacted her quality of life dramatically.

In April 2022, a heater accidentally caught fire causing extensive fire damage in her bedroom and serious smoke damage in her whole property. Stella was given the only advise she could get from the fire brigade at the time, to leave the property immediately for her own safety. This event was traumatic, she walked out with only a burnt phone, a bag and…. she had lost everything, sentimental items, important documents, her primary place of comfort and safety.

Anxious and feeling unsupported, Stella no longer felt comfortable with idea of having to eventually return to her property and requested to be relocated, she was desperate to move for good and make a fresh start somewhere else.

“CURIO was EAGER to help out in any way we could”

When I found out about her circumstances, we at Curio, (still in it’s inception at the time), were eager to help in any way we could. She was adamant to leave and nothing at this point I or anyone else would say, could persuade her to stay.

I changed gears and pivoted, now I wanted to do anything I could to encourage her in the direction she wanted to go in, to be rehoused under a different borough and leave all the problems she had experienced behind her. I wrote a letter to her MP, advised her about house swap options, we explored so many different possibilities, including moving in with me, which wasn’t a viable option at the time.

“This phone call was different, EVERYTHING was about to CHANGE “

One day after months of exploration, conversations, prayers and tears, Stella called me, this phone call was different. Her voice was softer, almost as if she were preparing me for bad news, ‘I’m gonna move back in’, she said nervously. I was surprised but somewhat relieved that she was not going to be homeless by giving up her flat, and that Curio could help fund this mammoth task.

I pivoted again, this time in high gear there was so much to do and so little time to do it, we had three weeks to complete everything and move her in. I started with sourcing items for the flat, then a team of us went in with deep cleaning, re doing the floors, hanging curtains, fixtures and fittings and eventually some furniture.

Stella had popped to the flat a few times to okay some decisions but had not seen the final reveal. She walked through the doors on final move in day, thrilled was the emotion on her face, though no words came out. All the hard work the team had put in, had paid of she was in and the place was beautiful, cosy and safe.

Stella said, she never thought she could call the shell of a flat she had left behind months ago, a home she could be proud of.