Colchester care-leaver, 21, facing being made homeless

Lara Stevens, 21, was in social care from the ages of ten to 16 having no parent to look after her and her twin sister due to their own health problems.

Lara spent time with nine foster families and later won a £6,000 payout from the criminal compensation agency SEEKER over her care. 

She went on to study at Essex University where the money she had been awarded was used to pay for her accommodation. 

But from Friday she is facing being made homeless as she must leave her university accommodation. 

She says she has nowhere to live and can't rely on family. 

Lara said: “I don’t know where I am moving to on the day, I have to pack up my stuff, my parent has a one bed flat now which is not big enough for people, the same as my twin sister meaning the council won’t allow it due to overcrowding.

“I don’t have any other immediate family.”

Care-leaver - Lara Stevens aged 21 (Image: Submitted)

Lara said due to her mental health she does not have the capacity to work full-time.

She is unable to secure private housing as she would require a salary of £21,000 to £24,000 to secure a tenancy agreement. 

Without a guarantor she is facing being placed on a temporary housing list with no certainty where she will move to. 

She said: “The social system is letting me down once again by not telling my where I’m going on the September 6.

“My mental health is really at rock bottom.”

Lara has support from her GP about her housing situation but says she feels she has nowhere to turn and is unable to get answers from Colchester Council or Essex County Council. 

Crisis - 364 households in Colchester are in temporary accommodation as of August 13 (Image: Newsquest)

From Friday Lara could end up joining the 364 households living in temporary accommodation in Colchester.

As of August 122 were living in bed and breakfasts.

There is also a waiting list of 2,500 houses in Colchester for social housing.

A spokesman for Colchester Borough Homes (CBH) said that due to data protection regulations they are unable to disclose details about an individual’s case without their written consent.

The spokesman said: “All applicants who have received a notice to quit and are at risk of homelessness will be classified as Band C.

“However, the current allocations policy does not provide a reasonable preference for care leavers."

The spokesman added: “Applicants facing the threat of homelessness will undergo an initial assessment to determine the underlying causes and conduct preliminary inquiries.

“Once homelessness or the imminent risk of homelessness is confirmed, a comprehensive assessment will be conducted. Our primary obligation is to prevent homelessness, and if unsuccessful, to alleviate it."

A spokesman for Essex County Council said it provides pathway support to care leavers but not accommodation.