A couple who met while homeless and sleeping on the streets are celebrating Christmas engaged to be married after a chance encounter over a cigarette lighter changed their lives forever.
Throughout their relationship, pair went though ups and downs while living on the streets, but have now worked though it all and have come out stronger - and engaged.
Stephen Daniels, 50, has recalled watching hundreds of legs pass him as he lived in front of an empty shop doorway on Market Street in Manchester.
As a struggling alcoholic, Stephen says that he had no hopes of a future after losing his home and a job.
After sleeping rough for months on end, his life changed on December 5, 2017, when he met Louise Kakanskas, 54, who was also homeless.
He recalls her asking him for a lighter, which sparked a long conversation between the two.
And four long years later, Louise became his fiancée.
Speaking about how Louise changed his life, Stephen told Manchester Evening News : “Meeting Louise saved my life.
“If I never met her, I would be in prison or in hospital. We’ve not spent one night apart since we met. We’ve spoken about engagement before, but one night we saw a ring on the telly and we ordered it and that was it.”
The 50-year-old, from Altrincham, a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, first became homeless while living in Bournemouth in early 2017, after moving into the area for work.
Sadly when he lost his employment, and the two-bedroom flat that came with the job, Stephen found himself with nowhere to live.
He was forced to sleep in car parks, on benches and even under a pier near the beach for six months before moving in with his parents back in Greater Manchester.
But, due to his alcohol addiction, his family could no longer offer him accommodation and Stephen became homeless once more.
When he met mum-of-three Louise, she had been living on the streets for around two weeks, as she lost her home after struggling to keep up with her rent.
After getting together, the couple searched for safe place to stay for a long 12 months.
Despite their desperation, by the time suitable accommodation came along, it was only accessible to them if they agreed on certain terms.
And this meant that they would be forced to live separately.
But all that changed when Stephen was referred to Sanctuary Supported Living’s Victoria House in 2018, which helps provide accommodation to homeless adults.
When he told project workers he was in a relationship with Louise, they understood she was a key part of his life and support system.
The team got in touch with Stephen’s referral agency and asked if they would also refer Louise to Sanctuary Supported Living.
After her support needs had been assessed, she was offered a place at Victoria House and the pair were finally offered a home together.
Since then, they’ve worked with staff to facilitate some positive outcomes.
For Stephen, this meant kicking his alcohol addiction, and for Louise, she agreed to set up a payment plan to help clear some of her rent arrears.
After four years of rebuilding their lives, Stephen finally popped the question.
The couple are now engaged to be married and are waiting to find their very own property as they make plans for the future.
Speaking about how her life has changed, Louise, from Clayton, said: “It’s been one of those experiences you think you’ll never be in.
“But it could happen to anyone. You’re only two pay checks away from it happening to you. It kind of worked out for us and now we’re looking forward to getting our own home.”
Reflecting on their time on the streets of Manchester, Stephen said: “You learnt to adapt. I would sit in the library all day and then depend on church donations for food.
“I once spent Christmas in hospital with a fractured skull, I got smacked in the face by someone from behind. He was drunk and he got done for it.
“When we met on Market Street, it was a lot of sitting outside and sleeping in doorways. You get talking to a lot of people on nights out.
“We were never really begging, we would just get into conversations with people. I’ve done a lot of sales in the past so I’m a bit of a chatterbox.
“We met a lot of nice people. We didn’t take drugs but there were a lot of people who did and struggled really badly. Sometimes there were a couple of us who would sleep in the same area together to watch each other so we never really had any trouble when we were asleep.”
And on finally finding accommodation, Stephen added: “Supported housing allowed us to explore our relationship as a couple, before making the commitment to be with each other for the rest of our lives.
“If people like us are homeless and facing adversity with multiple needs, experiencing love and companionship is really important. Relationships are a human need - just like any other support need - but it’s a need that is rarely met in homelessness services.
“We're happier and we feel so much more secure. We’re looking forward to a future together.
“We’d like to say a big thank you to all the staff at Victoria House for their help and support. They’ve helped make our engagement possible. We hope to tie the knot next year at a small wedding with family and friends.”
