Chantelle - a GMHF story

Chantelle experienced significant challenges during her early life which contributed to experiences of homelessness, involvement with criminal justice and periods in prison.

It was following release from prison in 2021 that she was referred on to the Greater Manchester Housing First programme.

Chantelle. 48, is being supported by MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health) a specialist charity supporting women in Manchester city centre as a delivery partner of the GMHF partnership.

Three years ago, we sat down for a brew and a chat with Chantelle, after she generously offered to share some of her journey with us.

At the time, Chantelle was living in her first Housing First tenancy. While adapting well to having a home of her own after experiencing homelessness, she encountered some challenges which led to her being supported into a new tenancy in 2024 and continued to make progress.

When we caught up with her recently, she reflected on some difficult periods along the way, but was proud to share that: ‘I’ve just had the best 12 months of my life.”  

“After you last saw me, I had a really bad experience in my former flat. I got held in the house for two days was severely beaten and assaulted. It was horrific.

“At one point I couldn’t leave my house. I felt like a prisoner.

“But things have totally changed now. MASH has massively helped. I get to spend time with my grandkids. And I’ve met a new partner.”

Reflecting on her progress, she added: “I wanted to check-in again because last year has been one of the best I’ve ever had. There have been some big changes.

“I got a new flat 18 months ago and have decorated it in my style. I’ve got my daughter back in my life too. We’ve even been on holiday to Weston Super Mare. That was really good.

“I did end up back on drugs, quite hard. But I want to get clean and get on with my life.”

Asked what it meant to have a safe and secure home of her own, one of the core principles of the Housing First model, she said having her own home was fundamental in her recovery.

“Having a home has totally changed me,” she said. “It’s made me a better person. It makes me respect things more.

“It’s strange at first. I wanted to go back into a hostel because that’s what I knew. I think it was a security blanket. But now my security blanket is Housing First. Thank you for not giving up on me.

“Making it my own has been important. I didn’t want to be in my last place. Now I feel like I’ve got somewhere that’s home. It’s the first time I’ve had a safe home. I’ve never had that before.

“I chose black wallpaper with big gold palm leaves on it. I’ve got a big gold family tree which I’ve put up on the wall. And I’ve got a Buddha statue.

“Before I didn’t care. Now I do. I think about consequences now. I don’t want to lose what I’ve got now. I want more from life.

“If I didn’t have MASH, I wouldn’t have a family. Now it’s time to grow up. I want to be a Mum and a proper Nanna.

“Being around my grandkids is amazing. It makes me want more out of life and to get off drugs. I don’t shoplift anymore.

“I love taking them out trampolining and on outings like to a farm. It’s nice to be out.”

Now Chantelle is moving forward in a positive direction, she has big plans for the future.

She added: “I want to go on holiday. I want to get married. I want to be happy and have a stable life. I’d love to get a new dog. I’m excited to have a real home.

“I want to grow some vegetables! I’ve bought some compost. I’ve bought a window trough. I’ve got chillis, herbs, carrots.

“I’ve grown four Aloe Vera plants from cuttings. I’m well chuffed. I broke it into four and now they’ve all grown so I want to put them into separate pots and give them as gifts.

“I’m hoping to grow some sunflowers with my grandchildren. 

“It’s nice to celebrate how far I’ve come. To sit here and tell you how well I have come on.

“I can genuinely say you’re amazing, you’re caring people. You do help change people’s lives. Big thank you to you all.

“I wonder where I’ll be in 10 years?”

Ciara Walsh, Chantelle’s Support Worker, was full of praise for the place she now finds herself in. She said: “I just think how amazing she is. She has been through so much. She always care about other people and always want to know how everyone is. Even when she is going through the worst things.

“It really stood out when she said this is the first time somewhere has felt like a home and she is feeling settled.

“And how much better she feels with your mental health. Being able to take a step back from the Dual Diagnosis nurse – that is huge that she is in that position.”

As she strides forward in the future, Chantelle is in no doubt about the impact that GM Housing First has had on her life and those of hundreds of others who are on the programme.

“If someone was to ask me about Housing First, I’d say it works. 100 per cent. The more it is funded the better and the more women who get that help, the better. There isn’t enough funding and support for people like us.

“People don’t understand. There’s a lot of stigma around. A lot of people think we bring it on ourselves. They don’t know what we’ve been through in our childhoods and adulthood.

“The government should fund women’s rights more.

“Greater Manchester Housing First and MASH really have changed my life, 100 per cent. I couldn’t have asked for a better worker than Ciara. It’s a collaboration.

“If I didn’t have this, I wouldn’t be here now. I really believe that. I’m nearly 50. It’s taken a long time. I wouldn’t be here now. I thank you a lot for it.

“You’ve been here through thick and thin with me. You’ve picked me up again when I’ve been in really difficult places.

“It can’t just be a five minute, short-term thing. You need to get to know that person and build that trust. It’s consistent. I’ve not just been picked up and dropped.

“At first, you couldn’t even get a conversation out of me.

“We need more people who work like this, people who genuinely care.

“Having this kind of support from MASH gives people a feeling that they are wanted and needed. For some people they don’t have family around them. If they didn’t have this. They wouldn’t have anything.

“I appreciate being around people who have given me that chance and not given up on me. Everybody deserves that chance.

“We all need that caring presence. A lot of women have nothing and nobody.

“MASH is like a family unit for some people. I’ve never had my Mum in my life. And I appreciate what they’ve done for me.

“It’s not easy. It’s scary. Having to grow up and pay bills. It’s made me realise that life’s worth more than just drugs and drink.

“The Dual Diagnosis Practitioner from Housing First has also helped me a lot. She’s lovely.

“I feel like I’m in a place with my mental health now that after a few years of support, she can take a step back.

“I’m now at an eight or nine with my mental health. I don’t want to stay in bed all day. I don’t want to lounge about and be miserable. I want to be doing things."

Chantelle's experience highlights the success of the Housing First approach. With a home of her own and consistent support, she has been able to navigate significant challenges, strengthen family relationships and build renewed optimism for the future.

Her story is a reminder that lasting change takes time, trust and a person-centred approach, but that with the right support, people can achieve outcomes that once felt out of reach.