From homelessness to home ownership

A few years ago, Dennis' life consisted of a vagrant existence. He lived from day to day and went jail in, jail out. "At that time, I thought it was all for the best, I didn't care that much. From home, I didn't get a good example either," Dennis says. When Dennis came out of detention in 2022, there was social worker Luchien from Amaryllis. She supported Dennis for a long period of time.

Dennis talks about his past: "From the juvenile probation service, they tried all kinds of things. At the time, I was just thwarting that. The things I was doing were normal for me and I didn't want to change. The turning point came when my mother died. But to flip the switch at that time was difficult." Dennis was homeless for a long time, this had to and could be different, he decided.

"From detention, Dennis flowed out homeless. At the time, I found it difficult to get in touch with him," Luchien says. "Dennis was still dealing with police and justice a lot, which is how he spent another time in detention." Dennis says that he did not have such good experiences with social assistance in the past. Trusting people was difficult here. "Dennis was care-averse at first, I didn't really know what to do with him," Luchien says. Eventually, she noticed that Dennis was eager to change, even though there was a lot of resistance.

Many agencies that provide shelter do not let animals in. Dennis' dog means everything to him; it has belonged to his mother. "I picked up the dog together with my mother as a puppy, then you do have a bond with it," Dennis explains. Dennis chose his dog over shelter.

Luchien continued to find solutions to help Dennis. Dennis gained more confidence and motivation to take steps in the right direction. He decided to distance himself from his old environment. At one point, Luchien arranged temporary accommodation for Dennis and his dog. Meanwhile, Dennis got temporary contracts with different employers.

Dennis has been out of contact with the police for almost two years. He also has a better relationship with counselling services. Currently, Dennis has his own home together with his dog. In the future, he wants to work on his driving licence. "Sitting still is not good for me," Dennis says. He wants to start working again, preferably with cars.

Dennis has tips for people in the same situation as he was a few years ago: "Keep thinking carefully. Looking for a way out in drugs and the like doesn't help. Distance yourself from people who have a negative influence on you and find people who are good for you. Don't hide yourself, some things don't work on their own."

Dennis himself is very modest about his progress; according to Luchien, he could be more proud of himself. "Dennis finds it hard to celebrate successes. If you look at where he is now compared to two years ago, there is a huge difference." Dennis: "I didn't expect two years ago that I would be standing here like this now."