Blair helps celebrate 50 years of the NIHE

Blair Anderson, who works as a Youth Advocate Peer Mentor, recorded a special video, hosted on the Housing Executive’s digital channels, charting her journey from homelessness to becoming a stable tenant with settled employment.

Blair (27) is a proud Housing Executive tenant, and works with the Northern Ireland Youth Forum as a youth advocate peer mentor.

She works hard to advise and guide other young people who are at risk of becoming homeless too. “My homeless journey started when I was quite young and I did not really understand what it meant not to have a home. My mum moved between house-to-house and with grandparents. I had seen a little bit of hostel life and when my mum and dad broke up when I was 12, I understood what not having a home meant and my own homeless cycle started,” she said.

Blair became pregnant at the age of 14 and was involved with social services for a time. She added: “Life became a wee bit rough from the age of 16 which meant I had to go into my own hostel accommodation, and I moved from foster care to Women’s Aid and a B&B all within a year.

“It was pretty hard. I didn’t know where to go or what my life would be like. I was not accepting help coming my way, I had no guidance at that age, and I had no one to answer to but myself.”

Although life was tough for Blair at the time, she now thrives in her role with the Northern Ireland Youth Forum. Blair offers advice to others who need support with finding a home, especially young people.

She said: “I have done the housing advisory training through my role and it’s ongoing at the minute.

“I used to think of my experience as negative and it made me depressed. However, it has me where I am today.

“I managed to get through and I have a stable tenancy. It’s made me a better person today.”