'When I got an eviction notice, I was devastated'
BBCWhen Pat Pengelley received a call in November 2024 to say she was being evicted from her home of 15 years, she was devastated.
For the next few months, she spent every waking hour scouring the listings for a safe home for her partner and her cat Jaffa.
Pengelley is one of 125 people who has been supported by At Home In Guernsey, who has announced plans to provide accommodation for homeless people and a day centre where people can go for respite.
The charity, which has released its first impact report looking at homelessness levels in Guernsey, said most of the people it had provided support to were working but still unable to afford secure housing.
Pengelley, who is retired, said the eviction notice she received turned her life upside down.
She said: "I was devastated. I'd lived there for 15 years and it was my safe home.
"I was happy there. I used to do a lot of walking around that area."
The biggest issue for Pengelley, was moving with her cat Jaffa, as many landlords refused to allow pets.
Eventually, after being supported by the charity for a few months, she managed to find secure accommodation.
"I've been retired nearly two years now, obviously I'm only on a small amount, and the properties that were for rent were just out of my reach," Pengelley said.
"It wasn't only the rent, it was the deposit, but it was really hard."
Rents have shot up in Guernsey in the last five years, with the average rental price sitting at £2,162 per month at the end of 2025, 57.2% higher than five years previously.
According to At Home In Guernsey - which was founded in 2024 - there are more than 70 people on the waiting list for band one social housing, where there are currently a two-year wait for properties.
In collaboration with the States of Guernsey's new Committee for Housing, the charity said it had worked towards the creation of a "statutory definition of homelessness" and the launch of Guernsey's first homelessness notification form, with 104 submissions in 2025.
A homelessness notification form is a way of telling the charity you are insecurely housed.
Charity chief executive Charlie Cox said: "I think there's still this myth in Guernsey that homelessness just doesn't exist and that we know it's a hidden issue.
"But hopefully the impact report really helps people's understanding of what homelessness looks like and what we are trying to do to help."
Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.