Brighten Your Day

11 Formerly Homeless Veterans Have A Place To Call Home Just In Time For Christmas

December 23, 2022

A Scottish veteran who spent the past 10 years without a place to call home has been gifted a house through a social housing program.

Bobby Jones / Credit: Riverside Scotland

Bobby Jones' unstable living situation started after he suffered PTSD upon returning from multiple tours of duty. He served in Bosnia, Northern Ireland, and Iraq.

Over the last ten years, he experienced homelessness four times – sleeping in his car, occasionally couch surfing or living in hostels.

Now, the 53-year-old finally has a place to call home for Christmas after moving to Irvine in September.

"Being in one place is a big relief for me. I feel much more at ease now," Jones said. "I wasn't settled before, I was always moving. I feel I'm not going to be thrown out of my home, the landlord's not going to sell it."

He is one of 11 veterans given a home by Riverside Scotland, as part of a social housing development.

Bobby Jones / Credit: Riverside Scotland

John Canavan-Daly, 45, moved into the development four weeks ago. Canavan-Daly divorced ten years ago, and since then has lived in a caravan and several privately rented homes.

"This place is life changing. It's like all my Christmases come at once. I feel safe here," he said.

"I haven't really enjoyed Christmas since I got divorced. But now I'm here with my boys and it's going to be fantastic."

Heather Anderson, Head of Service Delivery and Veterans Lead at Riverside Scotland, said:

"Our partnership with Veterans First Point provides a much-needed combination of secure and suitable housing, alongside support to address any mental, physical, emotional, and tenancy related needs for veterans and their families, for as long as it is needed.

We are so delighted to see our veteran customers happy and settled in their new homes and able to start the next chapter of their lives secure in the knowledge they have a permanent home."