I first became homeless last October. I’d been living with my dad but, things weren’t easy, and he kicked me out. I ended up sleeping on my sister’s and my auntie’s sofas. I tried to split my time between each of their houses so as not to cause too much stress for anyone.

When things really began to get serious and the Coronavirus lockdown was announced, I felt quite worried about what might happen to me. I worked in a pub in the town centre at the time but, of course, like so many people I’ve been furloughed. I couldn’t live without money though, so my mum helped me get a job in Tesco.

I couldn’t help but notice how customers and staff were quite lapse when it came to social distancing rules, which I did end up telling my auntie and sister. Sadly, it freaked them out. I stopped staying with my auntie almost straight away. She has a young son, so I didn’t want to put them at risk. My sister also became quite frightened that I might bring germs back to her and her children, so asked me to leave and find somewhere else to live.

I completely understood why she wanted me to leave, but I had nowhere else to go. I asked if she could help me out for a little longer, which she kindly agreed to.

I went to my local housing office who put me in touch with Cheryl at Llamau. Cheryl has been great and very supportive. She helped me understand what options were available to me and made me feel better about the situation I was facing.

Thanks to Cheryl, I’m now living in a shared accommodation with several other people. It’s not ideal to be sharing at this time, but I’m just happy not to be on the streets at a time like this to be honest.

All the other people at the house work, so we’re not always here together. We have a shared bathroom and kitchen, so we each have to try to respect how important it is to keep everything clean and be aware of each other’s space.

Although I’ve lost my job and “home” because of the Coronavirus, I feel I’ve made the best of my situation. I do still have a good relationship with my sister. I visit her sometimes but through the window of course. I’m also trying to rebuild my relationship with my dad.

When things calm down I’m hoping to return to college and continue my Carpentry course. I’m definitely not the type of person to sit behind a desk, so it’s important for me to gain my qualifications.

This whole experience has definitely been frightening at times but I’ve always tried to keep in mind that regardless of the outcome, I need to try to make the best of things.