The Good Place Lettings team have been very handson and are just so lovely. You can talk to them like normal people, and anything they say you can trust. They’re here to help and are just genuine people.
I moved into a flat in Southwark when my daughter, Milania, was a baby, and we lived there for just under five years. My daughter has autism. I know everyone thinks their kids are great, but my daughter is amazing. The way she navigates life is so incredible to watch. She’s my rock, and she’s only a little tot. We felt safe and secure in our flat, were surrounded by good neighbours and I had a great relationship with my landlady. She worked overseas, delivering humanitarian aid to war-torn countries. But when the US government cut funding to her organisation, leaving her and 45 staff members out of work, she had to return to her flat.
I struggled to find a property suitable for our needs, and any I did were asking for things like £80,000 in earnings. I also needed a guarantor, but sadly, my mum and grandma had recently passed away. It was really scary to be in that position, even though I’ve never missed a rent payment in my life. It also hurt not to be able to communicate to my kid what was happening. The council were no help. Every time I’d speak to them, they’d fob me off until I was literally there with my bags and had no money left. It’s very expensive to be poor. I was holding down my job as a lash and brow artist, getting my daughter to school, and trying to keep a roof over our heads.
They eventually put us in a property in Forest Hill, but it wasn’t secure – anyone could open the back doors. And it was so unsafe: the electricity box was exposed, there was no ventilation, no bins, no lighting, no fire escapes – nothing. Everything was a battle, just for basic things. There was also a neighbour who was threatening all the women in the block. I couldn’t sleep. I put the wardrobe against the bedroom door to keep us safe, and I sat up, just looking at my daughter. My neck muscles and chest constantly felt tight and it really affected my mental health. I kept going down to the council, making myself a bother to them. Any time I had a day off work, you’d find me at the council, sending emails and making calls. Eventually, I was put in touch with an organisation called Kineara, and I met Finn, a Housing Support Practitioner. He’s basically changed our lives – the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.
Finn got to know our situation, then called to say there was a property not too far from where we were. He also told me a bit about Good Place Lettings, about how they want to help normal people – those who can’t afford these crazy prices and don’t have all these guarantors and money sitting there. I was shown this beautiful two-bedroom house on a lovely, quiet residential road, and I told the landlady about my situation. It was a nervewracking wait, but I was offered the place.
The kitchen and bedrooms are huge, my daughter’s room overlooks the garden and I absolutely love our painted wooden floors. I also don’t have to think about our safety at all. It’s amazing. I feel like I’m home again in Ireland; the people are just lovely. I’m just so happy, my daughter’s so happy. We love it.
