Autistic and Homeless for 13 years. Looking for advice/people's experiences

Hi I'm Craig,

I'm really new here, and a massive Doctor Who fan!! 

So I would like to tell people about my short backstory, then current homelessness situation, and maybe get some signposting or help. I will keep it short so nobody gets too bored!!

So I'm 28.
at 13 I was diagnosed with Autism. At 15 I left home due to domestic violence (my dad had a hard childhood himself and thought he could toughen the special needs out of me)

I went to the council at 15 to get help, and they put me in "emergency overnight accomodation"(EOA).
Back then if you were in EOA for 8 weeks you were classed a section 21 "careleaver", and got help until you were 25. (now the laws changed a bit).

Anyway, after 7 weeks they transfered me to a private owned hostel so the council didnt have responsibility anymore and didnt have to give me care leaver status. As soon as I was 18 they evicted me;
So I was back on the streets and failed my last year of College due to all this drama - leaving me with no formal education.

I spent the next 9 years homeless, sleeping in church yards, park benches etc. then showering in leisure centre and studying in the library during the day.(i've always kept a moral code, dont steal, - kept myself tidy - keep trying to learn etc.)

sometimes i was finding odd work doing carpentry, barwork, or office work. but each time the autism made me not get on with people and be asked to resign or move on very early on once my awkward social demeanour became apparent.

I Approached council a few times in that time but each time they said Autism doesn't mean i have priority need and i went back out into the streets.

Fast forward to 2014 I got into quite a bad relationship. my partner was very abusive to me; emotionally, psychologically, and physically. I am very small and gentle and didnt ever hit back or get aggressive. I learnt in childhood that just makes things worse.

I'm ashamed to say i ignored the warning signs and she got pregnant after we'd known each other 2 months. thats when things started getting really bad. just being really cold and blaming me for every tiny thing, then whenever they were the slightest bit nice to me i'd be so starved of affection i'd forgive them desperately and do anything to try and keep them happy again.

they told me that if we both went to the council they wouldn't give us a council flat, and i had to stay off the books.
(my fault for believing it i guess, turns out that was just a lie)
so my partner moved to a council house and i moved with them - but was off all the paperwork.

I got a job for an insurance company as the baby was born, and gave the mum over £2000 from my wages/income which she said she needed in cash else their benefits would be stopped. later they denied me ever giving it to them; something which has happened many times since.

the bullying kept getting worse and it really broke my heart watching my dream of having a happy family slowly descdending into hell. and with my name not on the house i was living constantly under the threat of being kicked out for the night as punishment. something which was used on me as punishment a lot, and still has left emotional scars on our child to this day - constantly seeing daddy getting torn out of your arms and sent away.

I eventually left when it got too much, but then went back to being homeless.

(sorry for all that backstory)

I went to the council.

they put me in temporary accomodation, and then today phoned and have said my autism isn't going to mean im in priority need

Now I'm really disheartened because i'm finding it really hard to find anyone to help with legal advice for my housing situation. or even if i should have priority status. 

I'm also upset the 'need assesment' they carried out paraphrased my words and made out i didn't have problems with things i actually have genuine problems with.

I got a call yesterday saying that I wouldn't be offered a settled place to live,
my housing officer says my only option is to move to a "supported accomodation".
i've had a look online and looks horrible scary and dangerous.
a large set of houses split into small single rooms mainly for people with drug and alcohol problems, people out of prison, they said it was not safe for children to visit as they can't verify what the people released from prison are there for.
and if i refuse this place i have to leave the temporary accommodation and go back to being street homeless.

I have already been assaulted twice here in temporary accomodation by people released from prison, as i stand out as vulnerable and a target.
I love my child and i would never be able to or want to have my child spend time with me somewhere so dangerous.

I really don't know what to do, i'm in over my head.
im sorry i sound so feeble in this post. I want to get my confidence back, and rebuild my life, but i've just had the fight worn out of me. I need a change so i can start building myself towards being the dad i always wished i'd had. not an under-foot figure who cant stand up for himself.

thank you for listening to my situation, and if you have any information or advice it would really help me so much.

Happy new year everyone!

nice to meet you all!

Personal_Space