Alex's Story

Alex, pictured here with Sean, likes to keep good company. He has been on and off homeless from his teens and is currently homeless due to a redundancy. Having come from a family of heroine addicts - he is accustomed to the challenges of trying to 'stay clean'. This is the compass that leads him to choose good friends and filter some of the services offered to the homeless. Like so many of the homeless I have spoken with - he has chosen not to associate with 'users' and 'abusers'. He simply wants to get off the streets and get back on track.

You can sign the petition by clicking here

Alex lost his zero contract job at 'Kerry Foods' in November of last year and this began a domino effect on his finances. He could no longer top up his housing benefit to the tune of £40 per week so inevitably lost his accommodation and ended up on Bournemouth's streets; His Big Issue proceeds weren't sufficient to make up the rent shortfall.

There are hostels in Bournemouth that come with long waiting lists - but they also come with social challenges for someone like Alex. Having grown up seeing the effects of a substance-abuse life style, he does everything he can to avoid falling into the wrong crowd. Some on the streets are abusers of their own selves, via drugs, and of others, through poor choices and judgements, whilst under the influence; Alex wont frequent hostels, or streets, where known users congregate. He has always made a concious decision to never use.

His case is currently in the balance between Poole and Bournemouth - both boroughs assessing who has a duty of care. Almost a year has gone by for Alex on the street and yet he waits patiently for circumstances to turn around for him. Often, for the  minimum-waged, there comes a point when the thin balance of income-verses-debts get's toppled by job loss, or the like, and sometimes this in-balance takes away our home. The homeless stories I have witnessed are our own stories. That's why ignoring need isn't a realistic solution in 21st Century, post recession, Britain.

I asked Alex and Sean whether they would use direct access night shelters? The response was a resounding 'yes'. As Sean said "once I close my door it's ok". How many of us can take that for granted? The types of choices and strategies that many of the street's homeless have to navigate, on a daily basis, many of us have never even imagined. Please support our campaign to open up night shelters this Winter - You can sign my petition by clicking here.