Hello. I moved in to the homeless shelter on Monday... Sort of... I spoke to a guy from the councel, signed the contract and got whisked to the otherside of town, in to the most undesirable place to live in the whole town. There is housing next door which is privately run and it is so-named the "crack-flat" - and not because the foundations of the building are a mess...
However, the people inside the hostel were even worse! Parents with screaming children. In the room next to me, there was a woman with 3 children that were hyper, and forever running up and down our corridor. I could hear the cries of a baby downstairs, beneath me, coming up through the floor boards! There was a shared kitchen and shared bathroom and everything was falling apart. I would never have gotten any sleep in there. Plus there were flights of steep stairs to get to my room which were nearly impossible for me to climb. I was 2 miles away from the town centre, and I'd have to get to the town centre every day to sort out housing and housing benefit and for other appointments, not to mention that the place for the housing list is actually 4-5 miles away and I'd be walking at least 8 miles a day which would just be impossible with my disablement. There are busses, but they are extortionate and each one takes a scenic route, and would probably be actually quicker walking!!
There was no shower, just a bath, and the sink was small so I wouldn't have even been able to have a proper wash! I can't get in the bath at all because of my physical problems and need a shower, preferably with grab rails to hold on to.
It was just horrible.
Soooo...me and my partner/ex-partner/it's complicated, ended up having a long conversation on Monday evening. The first proper conversation we had in a loooong time. And we reached an agreement. I am renting out the spare room at his place. I am arranging to see the landlords about it and have my name put on the tenancy and we will basically be flat sharing. I'm making sure that I am covered by my legal rights to stay there, so that he cannot have any right to kick me out if he happened to feel like it. We have our mutual ground rules, like not going in to eachothers bedrooms without permission, not touching eachothers stuff without permission. His money his his money to live on and my money is mine, which means I won't be paying for, or shopping for any of his food, or helping him with his bills etc. Same as he wont put his money in to help me (not that he ever did). I will chip in for electric, and do what I can for water rates. The water rates, I may look in to and work out how much it totals in a week and pay my share on a fortnightly or monthly basis, rent will go directly to the landlords once I have had this meeting with them. Landlord lives in Edinburgh, and he is selling up the flats at the moment, so I hope that he does come down to see me and not think it's a waste of time! Otherwise, I will just have to organise it through the phone through a third party (the letting agency) which will take longer.
There is no relationship between us. He has suggested that we could try things again, and he seems to have gotten a good kick up the backside to actually bother looking after himself and not take me for granted and finally accepting that there have been things wrong with his behaviour. But I'm not at all ready to even think on that. I have not said yes or no on that matter. After what he did to me (and still having bruises on me that are turning rahter colourful) I have no intention of making any move on that part of the situation. This agreement seems to be working well so far, and it should continue to be ok, in the short-term at least.
I'm not here permanantly. I am still looking for housing, looking to get my own place. I'm on housing list. But if I had stayed at the hostel, then I would have ended up in hospital. My foot has swollen right up from the last few days and I'm in immense pain. At least here, I'm only a 5 min walk (for me) from the council offices and I am actually able to rest and recover a bit.
I phoned the guy from the council who put me inthe hostel and is in charge of the hostel on Monday night saying I was not going to stay the night and I had somewhere more suitable to stay. He was fine with that, but two seconds later I get a knock on my door from everyone in the hostel asking me why I said I thought they were all "dodgy". I said no such thing, and they showed me the text message that the guy sent them seconds after I phoned him saying that I was leaving because I thought they were dodgy! A big confrontation by all of them against me, and the woman who was next door to me said that I had to give her my keys because she didn't trust me. Saying I was going to harm/molest her children or give the keys to a peadophile! Ridiculous! I told her that I was not going to give her my keys and that they were being returned to the council first thing in the morning, to which she said "I will phone up and check!" Fair enough being concerned about the well-being of your children when you don't know someone well, but accusing me of being a child molester is, well, just plain wrong!
Far better out of there. I'd rather live with someone who I can predict and have known for 6 years, rather than a bunch of post-natal women who have more mouth than sense! Not to mention putting my life and housing in the hands of a man who lies and makes it his purpose to turn everyone against you! Survival of the fittest!!
I will be safe here, at least in the short-term. He wont lay a finger on me, and I know that. Like I say, it's temporary until I find my own place. And I wont end up in hospital from unbelievable pain, damaging myself more, or being beaten to a pulp by a bunch of women who have taken a dislike to me (or worse from the types who end up in the "crack-flat"!) Seems just keeping your head down isn't enough there!
1342600479Posted 18 Jul 2012 at 8:34 am1342607002Posted 18 Jul 2012 at 10:23 am1342608218Posted 18 Jul 2012 at 10:43 am1342609245Posted 18 Jul 2012 at 11:00 am1342610698Posted 18 Jul 2012 at 11:24 am
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