Why Can't I Live Here?

Hey my name is Kara, I am a Care Leaver, & have been in care my whole life. I have been moved around the United Kingdom until I was ten and placed in London with family. This was the best move for me. I now have support from my family, made friends that accepted me & I felt like I finally found a place that I could call home. I will have been living here for 11 years in February but Southwark housing are saying I'm not entitled to social housing. The reason for this is because 17 years ago I was placed in Wigan. I have no connections to Wigan at all. All my life I've been "placed" somewhere. I've never had the choice, I'm 20 years old and I can now choose to stay in London. So why are you denying me my human rights and why do you want me to move to Wigan? Nothing is there for me. From the age of 17 I have been a carer working with elderly and disabled service which I loved. I have now been working as a support worker for service users with mental health. As a young women who has spent her whole life in the care system It is hard to stay on track. With the help and support that I have in London I have been able to and I don't want to lose that. I feel that this issue is important because the majority of children in care, don't have a say or a choice in where they can live especially when they're young. So why as an adult must we suffer even more?