Initially, the family were offered accommodation in a hotel. Ciaran describes this as a nightmare especially with a young child. It was just a room with two beds and a kettle, no fridge or cooking facilities. The family struggled to keep up with daily life and were spending a fortune on food they couldn't store.
Watching our money disappear while having no idea what came next was terrifying.
Ciaran and his family were then offered a room in a hostel. But a hostel is not a home and for two years they felt like they were just existing - that life was passing them by and they had no hope for the future.
Being offered a flat in Simon Community's temporary family accommodation service, Conway Court was the glimmer of hope the family needed. Conway is more than just a place to stay with Simon Community staff on hand to listen, advise and support where needed.
From the moment we arrived it was different. Elaine and Kyle (Simon Community staff at Conway Court) truly cared. They listened to our story, understood our struggles and got to work on our behalf.
The focus at Conway Court is providing a safe and happy environment for families - but understandably what families really want is a home of their own. So the team at Conway worked with Ciaran and advocated on his behalf to request his family's housing application be reviewed, they also helped the family connect with local services and resources to support the family in rebuilding their lives.
Conway felt like a fresh start. There was freedom, activities for my son, and a real sense of community that helped us heal.
In summer 2024, Ciaran received the fantastic news that they were being offered a home. They had one very excited little boy when they went to view the house and Ciaran describes his son's excitement as contagious.
A typical little boy, Ciaran's son is full of energy and always animated. Ciaran often worried living in a flat that he would disturb the neighbours below so when they stepped in to their new home, it was a different story. His son started jumping around but quickly stopped and said sorry to his daddy.
I smiled and told him, “No, no. You don’t need to worry about that here. This is our house. Nobody lives upstairs. Nobody lives downstairs. It’s just us.” His face lit up. “Our house?” he asked, with a huge grin. “Nobody else?” I told him, “This is our house, just us.” That moment really hit me, and I could see how much this meant to him.
Ciaran describes the transition as emotional, but made easier by the ongoing support from Simon Community.
The team helped us move from a place where we felt isolated to one where we could finally build our own future. In our new house, everything changed. Simon Community gave us more than just a roof over our heads—they gave us the chance to feel like a family again, to build new routines, focus on the future ahead and to finally feel safe in our own space.
After years of uncertainty, Ciaran and his family were in their own home - finally a place where they belonged.
My son, who started this journey as a toddler, now has a space to grow, play, and be himself. And as a dad, I couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come.
If you are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, you will find help and support here.