EXCLUSIVE: Young homeless man turns his life around after drug battle
Dillan has now been clean for two years and has a permanent home with the help of MACS.
Last updated 4th Nov 2018
Dillan Leng found himself homeless after his dad moved to England at a young age.
He, like thousands of children here, did not have a place to call home and was forced to stay with friends and extended family members as he struggled to get a permanent home.
Dillan spoke to us to help raise awareness of youth homelessness and how much MACS - a charity that provides a range of support services for children and young people who haven’t had a fair deal in relation to housing, homelessness, mental health and participation.
He told us how he became homeless at a young age:
"When I was 21 my dad moved back to England, and because my name wasn't on the property I was evicted. I had no-where to go," he said.
"For two years that was me, no-where to go, no where to call my home. I ended up jumping about from two mates house and my brothers. But after a while you feel like you're over-welcoming your stay, so that's why I had to keep bouncing about from place to place.
That lack of stability lead to Dillan having problems with substance misuse and anxiety, as he explains below.
Since he contacted MACS for help, his life has dramatically turned around.
He explains:
"It was through the help of MACS I'm here now, they were like my family who was there for me no matter where i moved. They took me for coffee and got me sorted with what I needed - the small things that made a big difference.
"I was at the point in my life that I wasn't looking forward to the further, I didn't think of anything of myself. But now I'm strong enough as a person for my kids, as a parent, and believe in myself to go on and move forward with my life.
"Everything's better now, I've got my own house, a place to call home and I'm also starting a new barbering job. I couldn't have done it without the help I got from MACS."
MACS operates supported housing in Greater Belfast, Lisburn, Downpatrick, Newry and the County Down area helping 44 vulnerable young adults each night.
The charity is holding an event on November 15 to raise awareness and funds for youth homelessness.
'The Big Sleep Out' in Belfast is part of End Youth Homelessness, a movement which brings together local charities to tackle the UK-wide issue of youth homelessness on a national scale.
Their Assistant CEO Kate Martin said "The Sleep Out doesn’t replicate homelessness but it will give participants a glimpse into how it might feel to sleep rough, or how hard it is to function the next day if you haven’t had access to home comforts.
"It’ll give an insight into how hard it is for young people to deal with the chaos of being homeless whilst trying to stay in education, work and to maintain relationships".
Referring to a lack of statistics specific to youth homelessness in NI, Kate explains that "only a handful of young people are visibly sleeping on the streets, the majority are in temporary accommodation or sofa surfing".
A recent report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office published a rise in homelessness of 32% over the past five years and Kate says the charity "are seeing more and more young people referred to us as homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
“There are multiple reasons behind youth homelessness in particular, most commonly relationships with family or friends breaking down, the young person being at risk of violence or abuse if they stay at home, or the violent breakdown of a relationship with a partner".
She specifies some practical challenges vulnerable young people face, “a lot of our young people have experienced the care system or haven’t had a fair deal in life. It can be hard for any young person to secure housing, but if that young person doesn’t have a guarantor, or a deposit or life skills it becomes almost impossible to compete for or maintain private rented accommodation".
Our reporter Sasha Wylie is taking part in the event, alongside a group of 14 plus workers who help young people coming out of care find a permanent home, and you can donate to the team by clicking this link.
Or to Register your place visithttps://www.macsni.org/events/end-youth-homelessness-sleep-out/
For further info email events@macsni.org or call MACS on 02890 313163.