One man's story Paul Gilsenan

'I grew up in Skerries, Co Dublin, with four brothers and one sister. My troubles started when my marriage broke up in my 30s (I'm 47 now). I found it very hard to get anywhere to live.

Every time I got somewhere, something would happen and I would have to move out. I was on long-term sickness benefit after having cancer but when I got better I got myself a job. Things were good for a while but when I lost my job I couldn't find any landlords who would take someone on social welfare. Eventually I found a place. I was only living there a couple of months and the landlord wanted to sell so I had to move. I had nowhere to live and so I was living in my car.

"It made me feel low and dirty - a horrible experience, you wouldn't know who would be coming around the streets. I'd never stay anywhere twice. I was nearly suicidal. I was drinking and taking stress tablets, more tablets than I should have been taking, and one night things got so bad I rang an ambulance.

"For years I was trying to get a place off the council. I said 'what do you want me to do, do you want me to kill myself before I get a place to live?' I asked for help and after that I was put in touch with Sophia Housing. In no time at all they had got me a lovely flat in Loughshinny and I haven't looked back since.

"My Sophia Housing social worker Conor has helped me through everything. He became more like a brother to me than a social worker. I had a kind of transition period where he would visit me every week, and after a year when Conor thought I was able to stand on my own two feet, I started paying rent to the council. I get my social welfare in the post office and the rent comes out of that, then I go and do my shopping, and I am never late with my bills.

"I can't get over how quick they got me a place. They were so nice, so kind. I'm a lot happier in myself. I still take stress tablets but I've a lovely home, I appreciate what I have and I keep it immaculate. I am very, very proud of what I have. I have come a long way in just a year and a bit. You have no idea what that place means to me - I keep her like a new pin, I'm worse than any woman."