From Homeless in a Van to a Home: Fletcher Street Cottage’s Support for My Family

Community support can do wonders, and I felt that support every single day at Fletcher Street Cottage. Community support lifts your spirits, and it did. It gave me the strength to get back on my feet, to take care of my family.

“For a long time, life felt like a series of obstacles, each one more insurmountable than the last. At the time, I was relying on Veterans payments, but the floods had wiped out any hope of finding stable housing. The situation became so dire that I ended up living in my van, trying to make do with whatever I could. It wasn’t just me, though - my mother was in a similar position. Her rent had been hiked far beyond her pension, and she had nowhere to go. She was struggling just like I was.

I found myself in a position I never imagined. I was a full-time carer for my mother, living out of the van with her, all while desperately trying to find some form of accommodation. For 80 days, we lived in that van.

During this tough time, Fletcher Street Cottage became our lifeline. You supported us in ways I can't even put into words. You provided us with meals, showers and just a sense of stability when it felt like everything else was falling apart. You didn’t just see us as another case or statistic, you saw us as people - humans with real needs. And in that, you gave us hope.

One of the biggest things Fletcher Street Cottage did for us was helping us find a solution. Through a connection within the community, we were able to get a cabin to stay in for eight months. It was a huge relief. Suddenly, we weren’t living in the van anymore, and we had a space to breathe, to rebuild and to continue working on the next steps.

Fletcher Street Cottage was my centre. It was the one constant, the one place I knew I could turn to for support from the Community Support Workers and team there. You helped me pursue veteran incapacitation payments, offering their support every step of the way. But the journey wasn’t easy and the system took me to a point that broke me, it breaks you. When you’re caught in the bureaucracy and the endless paperwork, it can feel like you’re invisible, just another number in a long line of claims.

But at Fletcher Street Cottage, it was different. You treated me like a person. Everyone treats you like a number, but at Fletcher Street Cottage you saw me as a human, another person. That was powerful, especially when you’ve been made to feel like your struggles don’t matter. Fletcher Street Cottage gave me the strength to keep moving forward. You literally reminded me to breathe again when I thought I couldn’t keep going.

You didn’t just support me, you supported my mum too. You referred her to aged care services, connected us to the First Light GP, and helped us navigate a maze of other services. You knew exactly where to go and how to help us get there, always side by side with us, making sure we weren’t left behind.

The road ahead of me felt like a mountain, but we took it one step at a time, one appointment, one task at a time. The van I was living in eventually broke down, and again, Fletcher Street Cottage was there. You helped me apply for funding to fix it, making sure we didn’t fall through the cracks.

Now, I’m living a ‘normal’ life again. I have a roof over my head, a beautiful property, and I’m back with my family. I can care for my son, who had nowhere to go, my daughter and my elderly mother - all of us under the same roof. It’s a relief I can’t describe. Fletcher Street Cottage supports you to tend to your needs and you did just that.

You didn’t stop there. You also helped me liaise with my daughter’s school and with government agencies to make sure she had the support she needed. Their dedication to helping us was unwavering.

Community support can do wonders, and I felt that support every single day at Fletcher Street Cottage. Community support lifts your spirits, and it did. It gave me the strength to get back on my feet, to take care of my family.

Through everything - the floods, the van, the struggle to navigate the system - Fletcher Street Cottage was there, helping us through each step. I don’t know where I would be without them. You didn’t just help me survive, you helped me live again. And for that, I will always be grateful.”‍

Service user kept anonymous to maintain privacy
Find out more and donate at www.fletcherstreetcottage.com.au