11 November 2025
Shannon, 26, from West Sussex was pregnant and facing homelessness in 2024. She was allocated a specialist housing officer through SPFT's housing initiative which she has called a lifeline.
Here is her story.
"When I think back to my pregnancy in 2024, the first words that come to mind are how housing specialists were a lifeline for me.
A few years ago, I should have been getting ready to welcome my baby and, feeling excited. Instead, I was living out of bags, 37 weeks pregnant, and had no idea where I would go once I left the hospital.
I’d lost my previous flat, and although my mum wanted to help, she’s disabled and it just wasn’t possible long-term. My partner and I were desperate. We went from one council department to another, but no one seemed to have answers. I felt invisible and hopeless.
When housing and mental health collide
I live with borderline personality disorder and had been doing well with support from my local Pepperville mental health team. But being pregnant while homeless was something else entirely.
Situations I can’t control are the hardest for me. Add pregnancy hormones to that, and my mental health started to spiral. I was scared, exhausted, and couldn’t see a way out.
What made it even harder was people’s assumptions. Some asked: “Why get pregnant if you didn’t have stable housing?”
They didn’t know our story. We’d had two miscarriages before — this baby was our rainbow. We just needed somewhere safe to bring them home.
That lifeline came when the Perinatal Mental Health Team connected me to a housing support officer.
She became my voice when I couldn’t speak up for myself — contacting the council, chasing paperwork, and fighting for us when I didn’t have the strength.
She went back and forth with the council so I didn’t have to. Without her, we wouldn’t have found somewhere to live.
After weeks of waiting, temporary accommodation finally came through. We moved in at midday, and by 9pm I was in labour.
For the first time in months, we had warmth, safety, and a roof over our heads. I brought my baby home to somewhere that felt secure.
Six weeks later, we were offered a permanent home. It wasn’t just bricks and mortar — it was peace of mind.
Having a safe place meant I could finally focus on bonding with my baby and rebuilding my mental health. My partner has his own health issues too, so stability was something we all needed.
Without that support, I honestly don’t know where we’d be. That housing officer, working alongside my mental health team, changed our lives.
Housing insecurity is one of the biggest triggers for mental health crisis. When you don’t know where you’ll sleep next week, it’s impossible to focus on recovery.
Safe housing gives you the space to breathe, to heal, and to hope. It’s the foundation that everything else rests on.
I’ll never forget the help we received. It was truly a lifeline — one that gave my family a future."
