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Having been homeless and living on the streets of Gloucester on and off for seven years, Amy Sanders finally thought things were about to change.

Amy, who identifies as a woman and changed names from Andrew in 2011, was going through the process of being offered a property by a housing association having previously lived in a tent on Alney Island for months.

While going through the process, Amy failed affordability checks, she says because she would be unable to pay rent in the first few weeks, and was not able to get the ground floor flat, a devastating blow.

Amy said she was also told she couldn't have the property she was earmarked for because of her dog, Bruce.

Rooftop Housing, who she was dealing with, said in response that they weren't told about Amy's dog when the housing application was made.

The 39-year-old is living in temporary accommodation courtesy of homeless support group P3. P3 offer temporary housing to those that are suffering difficulties, yet Amy needs a permanent home to start getting her life back on track.

Amy found herself homeless due to mental health issues. She found it incredibly difficult to deal with her depression and became as she says ‘a hermit’ and ‘fearful of the outside world’.

Shortly after her parents passed away she came out as being transgender and officially changed her name to Amy from Andrew on May 21, 2011.

(Image: Kevin Fern Photography Ltd)

Amy said: “I was initially made homeless as I had a mental breakdown. I was kicked out of my previous accommodation because of my mental breakdown and I did not get any support from anyone. I had a lot going on a buried my head in the sand.

“I suffer with depression, gender dysphoria, suicidal thoughts and I am borderline Asperger’s.

“I also have PTSD as a result of living on the streets for seven years.

“Last winter I was temporarily housed in the George Whitfield night shelter and my dog at this time was put in the kennels while I was there as you are not allowed dogs there.

(Image: Kevin Fern Photography Ltd)

“Then the dog was given back to me and I had top go back out on the street for a week when they gave me the dog back.”

A month ago Amy was bidding on the houses on the HomeSeekers website and she thought finally that she may have a home when she was emailed and told that they would like to interview her for the possibility to be offered a ground floor flat in Tredworth.

Amy said: “I did everything by the book. I told them that I about my dog and they later told me that it was a no pets property.

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“I have had my dog Bruce for seven years and I need him as he helps me with my anxiety and depression.

“I can not keep staying here as there is shouting all day and night and it is stressing me out.”

Amy really wants to rebuild her life but feel that the withdrawal of the offer made her feel like ‘the rug was pulled beneath my feet’. She is still living in P3 accommodation.

Amy said: “I knew that there was something very different about me when I was a child, but I did not come out as being transgender until my parents passed.

“I am trying to get life back on track but how can I? I am sick and tired of asking for help and not getting it.

“I would say to housing providers like how would they feel if they had major health problems then being told that you have to get rid of your dog.

(Image: Kevin Fern Photography Ltd)

“I was over the moon thinking that I was going to get a place more or less and then told this rubbish.

“I also explained that the first months rent I would have struggled and they said that I failed the income test.

“This is all rubbsih.”

Gloucestershire Live approached Rooftop Housing for a comment regarding the situation.

Rooftop Housing Head of Neighbourhoods and Income Julia Harrison said: “When we were first in contact with Ms Sanders we weren’t given details about her dog, or that it was a working ‘support’ animal.

“Ms Sanders wasn’t allocated the flat at Lattistep Court because she didn’t pass the afford ability check. We always run an affordability check with our new customers, we want to allocate homes to people who can afford to maintain their tenancies.

“Once we finish the checks, if they can’t afford the tenancy, we offer to work with customers to help them make changes, so they can afford the tenancy. If we don’t make these checks, or customers refuse help, they find themselves in financial difficulty.

“We would welcome Ms Sanders as a tenant in another property, provided she meets our affordability checks and provides evidence that her dog is an assistance dog.

“We don’t specifically allocate properties beyond offering them via the council Choice Based Letting, so we would be happy for her to bid on another property.

“We provide housing for anyone in need that bids through the council portal. We have a dedicated mental health outreach worker to support our customers, we have a money and job advice team that helps customers maintain tenancies, but we are not going to give a tenancy to someone who can’t afford to keep it.

“We’re sorry that Ms Sanders felt as if she had already been allocated the flat and we will be discussing the circumstances around this case with her Neighbourhood Officer and Neighbourhood Manager.”