"What's the point?"

It's a question we've been asked more than once over the years. And here's our honest answer…

When people find out what we do - running a supported accommodation business for vulnerable adults and families transitioning out of homelessness - the responses vary.

Some people are curious. Some are supportive. And some, particularly after hearing about the challenges we face, ask a version of the same question:

"Why did you choose to do this? What's the point?"

It's a very fair question. This line of work is genuinely difficult. There are definitely easier ways to run a business. There are definitely easier ways to make money.

So why René House? And why do we keep pushing on seven and a half years in?

The answer to that has evolved over the years. But at its core, it comes down to this: we saw a need, we started responding to it, and then we truly understood how extreme that need was. And once you understand that, once you see it up close, it’s pretty hard to look away.

How It All Started - Seeing a Need.

We started René House in 2018 because we saw a need for quality supported accommodation in Nottinghamshire.

At the time, we knew homelessness was a big issue. We knew people needed housing and support. We knew the system had gaps. But we genuinely didn't know how extreme that need actually was.

We thought we understood the scale of the problem. We didn't. Not really. Not until we were deep in it.

What Changed - Understanding the Reality.

Once you start working in this space, once you start actually seeing how bad homelessness is - not just in Nottingham, but everywhere - your perspective shifts completely.

You meet the people the system has failed. You see the complexity of their situations. You see how many moving parts are involved in supporting someone from homelessness to independence. You see the barriers that shouldn't exist, but do. You see how hard people work to rebuild their lives, only to hit walls that aren't their fault.

And once you see all of that, it becomes impossible to walk away.

That understanding - that clear-eyed view of how bad the problem is and how much work needs to be done - is what keeps us going. Not naivety. Not optimism. But a genuine understanding of the need and a commitment to meeting it, however we can.

The Reality (Spoiler Alert: It's Not Easy).

Let's be completely honest: this work is hard.

It's genuinely difficult. There are so many moving parts to running an organisation like this. So many vulnerable individuals with complex needs. So many external factors we can't control - funding structures that don't make sense, housing benefit that doesn't cover support, a private rental market that locks people out, waiting lists that grow faster than capacity.

We're dealing with people at some of the most challenging points in their lives. People who've experienced trauma. People with mental health challenges, addiction issues, learning difficulties. People who've been let down by systems that were supposed to help them. People who have every reason not to trust another organisation promising support.

On top of that, we've built an amazing team here at René House, but for us as Founders, managing people, supporting staff, ensuring everyone has what they need to do this difficult work well... that's its own challenge.

There are days when it feels overwhelming. Days when the problems seem bigger than any possible solution. Days when you question whether you're making any real difference at all.

But here's the thing: the good always outweighs the bad.

Why It's Worth It (to Us).

For every frustrating day, there's a resident who achieves something they didn't think was possible. For every systemic barrier we can't knock down, there's a person we can help navigate around it. For every challenge that feels impossible to overcome, there's a moment of progress - small or large - that reminds you why this matters.

The success stories aren't always dramatic. Sometimes it's someone maintaining their tenancy for six months. Sometimes it's someone asking for help instead of struggling alone. Sometimes it's someone securing employment, reconnecting with family, addressing their mental health, staying sober, simply feeling safe for the first time in years.

Those moments matter. They add up. And they outweigh all the hard days.

The Money Question.

There are much easier ways to make money. If profit was the only reason we were doing this - if making money was the sole driver - it wouldn't be worth it.

The challenges, the complexity, the emotional weight of this work... you couldn't sustain it if money were your only motivation.

There has to be something deeper. There has to be a reason that goes beyond financial return. A reason that keeps you going when things get difficult, when funding is tight, when you're scrambling to make the numbers work, when you're seeing a need you can't quite meet.

That deeper reason is different for everyone. But for us, it comes down to building something we can feel good about. Creating something that genuinely makes a difference. Going to sleep at night knowing the day was spent on work that matters.

"I wanted to create my own business, but I wanted to do it in something where I could go to sleep at night and feel really good about what I'd spent my day doing. I haven't had a day in the last seven and a half years where I haven't felt like I've done something that's been moving the business, or an individual, or the team, or something forward. That's been massive for me." - Theo Brown, Founder of René House

That sense of purpose. That feeling of forward movement, even if it's a little slower than you'd like. That knowledge that the work matters and the impact is real.

That's what keeps us going.

Not because it's easy. Not because we have all the answers. Not because the system is set up to make this work simple or straightforward. But because the need is real, the impact is real, and someone has to do this work. It might as well be us.

Seven years in, that's still enough reason for us. Purpose matters. Progress matters. Impact matters.

- Tiffany & Theo

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René House is a Community Interest Company providing supported accommodation across Nottinghamshire for adults transitioning out of homelessness. For more information about our work or to discuss partnership opportunities, contact info@renehousecic.com

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