"The situation for the homeless is now the worst I've ever known it, not just here but all around the country. It's really hard to get into decent places where you can properly concentrate on getting well."
Jason sits on the edge of the bed, fiddling with his keys, sipping on a bottle of water. Only half his face is visible; the rest is dazzled white by the glare of the hot summer sun streaming through the open window behind him.
He gestures across to his girlfriend Jo, sat a couple of feet away, leaning back against the stained wall of Jason's room in a low-end b&b in Kidderminster. "All we want is our own front door, somewhere of our own."
He adds, sadly: "I couldn't face being back on the streets. I just couldn't do it any more. I would have ended up committing suicide if I'd been on the streets again."
Jason is one of scores of people who have turned to Wyre Forest District Council for help since the turn of this year because they feared, or were already, homeless.
He's been on the streets, on and off, for most of his adult life after succumbing to the dual demons of drugs and drink in his teens. Now aged 46, he's seen death and experienced abject despair too often to want to return to a life of addiction and rough sleeping.
Both he and Jo have been off illegal drugs for two months. They are both sticking to their meds and are desperate to build on their recovery, in the same way they are building bridges with their previously estranged families.
Clean cut and shaved, in a tidy t-shirt and jeans and with skin browned by the summer sun, there's little physical sign of the abuse Jason's exposed his body to over the years other than damaged teeth.
Jason's sister, Beverley Boucker, said the siblings were estranged for 13 years, after Jason's addictions and criminal activity "broke our mum's heart".
"It took a long time to forgive him but he's really trying to turn things around and I respect him for that.
"I am struggling myself to make ends meet, with my own health issues, and my daughter has been really poorly so needs lots of care, but I make sure he has a cooked meal every day and look out for him and Jo. I want to make sure he is okay and he stays safe and well."
Kidderminster is the biggest town in the 100,000-population district of Wyre Forest, in north Worcestershire, part way between England's second biggest city, Birmingham, and one of its smallest, Worcester.
Its streets are hardly awash with the debris of human lives in freefall - according to official figures there were just four rough sleepers in the district last year.
While this low figure is strongly disputed by charities and campaigners, who say the real figure is much higher, it is still possible to walk the main towns on a typical weekday without passing barely a begging soul.
It's behind closed doors, in rented flats and homes, hostels and B&Bs, where the district's homeless are mostly dwelling, hoping for an upturn in their fortunes..
A total of 200 households were deemed homeless in Wyre Forest in the last year. Some 150 of them officially met the criteria to qualify for statutory help; the other 50 were listed as intentionally homeless or not a priority.
Another 900 applicant households contacted homelessness services, fearing they might soon end up without a roof over their heads. They were given support by the district council to prevent them becoming homeless.
The statistics form part of the government's end of year data around homelessness for the 2017-18 financial year.
Today local activists said it was a shocking situation, fuelled by a combination of swingeing austerity cuts and a dire lack of affordable housing for rent and buy in the district.
Councillor Nigel Knowles, who leads the Labour group at Wyre Forest, said it was appalling to see so many families and individuals struggling.
"In Wyre Forest we have a huge shortage of affordable homes for rent or sale. We need to build many, many more homes that are affordable and meet the needs of young people and families particularly. It's appalling to see these figures and there is no respite in sight; people in our communities are increasingly being left to fend for themselves. It's only going to get worse through 2019 and 2020, not just because of Brexit but because of the Conservative government's austerity policies."
The termination of shorthold tenancies, debt and arrears issues, family breakdown or an unforseen crisis remain the chief reasons for people becoming homeless in the district.
There are no signs that the situation is going to improve any time soon. At the end of March, 92 of the households who had qualified for assistance during the year were still waiting for suitable accommodation.
The council also now has additional responsibilities to help people fearing homelessness, while the budgets available for dealing with desperate people in need has been slashed.
Speaking earlier this year, the district council's housing chief Kate Bailey said it was going to be a challenge to meet the requirements of the new Homelessness Reduction Act, which came into force in April.
The Act demands that councils focus on preventing homelessness by supporting families and individuals at risk at an earlier stage and devise a personalised approach, including in some instances to those who are deemed intentionally homeless.
Ahead of the new responsibilities coming into force, the council has been granted New Burdens funding from the government totalling £90,000 over the next three years.
Said Kate: "It's not even enough to fund one entire post and we're anticipating a 20-40% rise in footfall through the doors (from people requesting help) - that's 2,000 to 3,000 people extra."
She added: "The extra funds are desperately inadequate in terms of what the scale of need is and what we are likely to be able to meet. Only time will tell if it is enough."
Bailey was not available for a follow up interview about how the council is managing its workload this year, nor was the council able to provide information about the number of applications received since March.
Typically the council receives around 6,000 inquiries a year from people worried about homelessness or seeking housing advice. Of these, the council intervenes in around 1,000 cases a year, and in most instances works hard with families to prevent homelessness.
An analysis of detailed council data for the period January 1 - March 31 this year gives some insight into who is seeking help and how the council responds.
During that three month period some 39 families were deemed eligible for help. Seventeen of them had dependent children or a pregnancy. Another five included a member of the household who was vulnerable due to mental illness or disability.
All of those requesting help during this period were classed as white; nearly all were under 44. Nine of the applicants were under 24.
The majority (11) were homeless due to the end of a shorthold tenancy; five were asked to leave the family home.
Following council intervention, the vast majority (32) opted to stay put or make their own arrangements. Seven were given temporary accommodation.
During the same period another 242 applications were resolved and homelessness was prevented or relieved. In 97 cases, issues with housing benefit were resolved; 12 households were supported to resolve rent arrears in the social or private sector; and 31 received debt advice. Ten cases went to professional mediation. Another 45 were assisted to obtain alternative accommodation, including social housing, moving in with friends or family, or supported through the landlord incentive scheme.
JASON'S STORY
It's not your typical hearts and flowers courtship, but when you're down and out on the streets, finding love is as unexpected as a lottery win.
Jason met his girlfriend Jo just under two years ago. They were both using heroin and drinking heavily, caught up in a depressing cycle of rough sleeping, petty crime, violence and prison.
Not the most auspicious setting for a love affair, it's true - but their coming together has been the catalyst they both needed to make changes in their lives.
Both are now off heroin, sticking to their recovery programmes, and staying pretty much on the straight and narrow, tempted only occasionally by the demon bottle. But they've both stayed out of harm's way and are working hard to avoid people who might tempt them back into their old lifestyle.
Jo is slowly rebuilding a relationship with her children - her eyes light up when she talks about her visits to see them. They've come a long way, but both know there's still an awfully long journey ahead.
Jason's lowest point was two years ago.
"If you'd seen me then you would have seen a different person. You probably wouldn't even approach me. I was filthy dirty, I had a big massive beard, I didn't have any respect for any authority, or for anybody really at all. I didn't even speak to my sister Bev, I used to visit but we were never as brother and sister. This time, the last few months, she said if you put some work in, and I'll put some work in to help you, then we'll see, which is fair enough."
His sister, Beverley Boucker, said the siblings were estranged for 13 years, after Jason's addictions and criminal activity "broke our mum's heart".
"It took a long time to forgive him but he's really trying to turn things around and I respect him for that. I am struggling myself to make ends meet, with my own health issues, and my daughter has been really poorly so needs lots of care, but I make sure he has a cooked meal every day and look out for him and Jo. I want to make sure he is okay and he stays safe and well."
Says Jason: "I met Jo on the streets in Worcester, we were both in trouble really, in and out of hostels and squats and on the streets. We both had families up in Kidderminster who we'd lost touch with, and wanted to try to build bridges with them. I wanted to protect her, look after her. I'd seen people being abused on the streets and in hostels and squats, I'd seen people die - I don't want Jo to see all that.
"We both want our lives to be better. When I get really depressed I just think about a time we can have a place together, our own front door that we can close on everyone else."
Their love story hasn't been easy - Jo served time in prison earlier this year and Jason was recently recalled to prison after breaking licence conditions. But they remain committed to making a better life for themselves.
Jason has been homeless on and off for most of his adult life after succumbing to drugs at the age of 15. The deaths of his parents in quick succession added to his sense of despair and inability to get away from drugs and drink.
"The situation for the homeless is now the worst I've ever known it, not just here but all around the country. It's really hard to get into decent places where you can properly concentrate on getting well."
"I have got clean once before in my life, thanks to the help of a Christian organisation in Cardiff who really looked out for me, made me feel worth something again. I was clean for two and a half years, and was getting on really well, working and feeling fit and healthy for the first time. Then their funding was stopped and they couldn't do anything else for me so I ended up back in Worcestershire, and things went back downhill. I'm really determined now to make this work, but it's really hard."
Jason is currently housed in temporary accommodation in a Kidderminster B&B, the Lion Hotel, in a room he describes as "grim but safe", while awaiting a longer term solution; Jo meanwhile remains homeless.
He described walking into his room in the Lion, with just a small bag of belongings. "I opened the door and it wasn't that nice, there's nowhere to prepare and eat food except on the bed, there's a small fridge and a microwave, that's it. There's no lounge, and no meals or anything, and it's not cleaned. We have to wash our own sheets and things like that. There are women and sometimes little kids staying here as well as men; it's just not a welcoming place at all. But it's better than being on the streets, and the owner has been good to me."
Seeing death at close quarters has been a part of life for Jason."When you live like this, it's every man for himself. Unless it's your pay day and you can help each other out a little bit. It doesn't go far though."
"We had a squat in Worcester and I still think about my mate Biff all the time...I found him crouched over a settee dead. My friendship with Biff was different, we knocked around together, but the notches are going up and up and up. I saw little J in Worcester and we looked at each other and said it's mad, there's only me and you left, and I thought I don't want to think like that but he's right, out of all the older people who used to be on the streets, we are the only ones left."
"All I want for her and me, all we want is our own front door."
"I'm really lucky and grateful that my family still want me in their lives, after everything I've done to them and everything's that's happened. They are struggling themselves and don't have anything much, but they do what they can to help me.
But most people like me don't have anyone, their only friends are other homeless people. It makes it really hard to get better or to change anything."
Most of his fellow residents at the B&B are on housing benefits, are recently out of prison, or have some kind of disability that affects their ability to find work. "Most have been in trouble with the police in some shape or form."
"If you get somebody who's trying to get off drugs - we're trying to get off drugs ourselves - and they put us in here, where 90% of the residents are either drug users or alcoholics.
"I've struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction most of my life, but me and her, we're sticking to our meth (prescribed doses of methadone) so we are actually doing great."
JANET & BRIAN'S STORY
"Two months ago we were living in a nice two bed house. We both had jobs, a place to call home and we were happy. Suddenly we ended up homeless and living in a tent; that's how quickly things have changed for us."
Janet and Brian Pudwell lived in a tent in a stranger's back garden in the depths of winter after falling out with a disagreeable landlord and ending up with nowhere to live.
Only married for six months, the couple returned to Kidderminster last year.
Janet has worked since she was a schoolgirl doing a Saturday job, most recently as a self employed taxi driver. She started a new job for a Kidderminster delivery firm shortly after falling homeless in January and, at one point, was having to get ready for work in the tent.
Their problems came to light when, with their tenancy ending, the couple spoke out on a community Facebook page asking if they could pitch a tent somewhere safe as a last resort. A kindly stranger offered them space in her back garden, where they bedded down for several nights alongside boxes of their belongings. The thin blue canvas roof was briefly their only protection from wintery weather.
The situation took its toll particularly on Brian, who was struggling with the twin misery of anxiety and depression. Said Janet: "I was really worried that it was a situation which would end up with Bri in hospital, or worse. I can totally see how people in our situation end up considering taking their own life.
It’s like we were nothing, nobodies. We blamed ourselves constantly, felt like we are worthless.
“We have both worked hard all our life, done the right thing, but somehow we’ve ended up here. Bri is really bad – it’s like the real Bri doesn’t exist, he just sits on the bed staring out of the window when we are at the house.
“He’s totally broken. I’ve never seen him like this and don’t really know what to do.
"We got married in August, lived in a nice two bed house, both had jobs, and everything was fine, but we decided this was where we should be. I wanted to be there for my sister and, longer term, be close to my mum.
“We didn’t imagine it would turn out like this so quickly. It’s just been awful. I’m trying to be strong and keep myself together."
She added: “We don’t want anything for nothing. I have a new job, with my first pay in early March. Brian is applying for jobs every day, even though he’s in a terrible state. We will be able to pay our way – but right now we don’t have any money, or anywhere to live. We thought the council would be there to help us."
By deciding to leave their previous tenancy after falling out with their landlord, the couple made themselves “intentionally homeless”, reducing the help available to them.
In a statement Councillor Marcus Hart, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council, said: "We take the issue of homelessness very seriously. Our Housing Options Team will always offer support to people at risk of losing their home. The nature of the help available will depend on each individual's circumstances."
He added: "If we are unable to provide alternative accommodation because the person is not eligible, then we would offer advice to help them find a home in the private rented sector through our Rent Bond Scheme or Home Choice Plus service.
“Our focus is always on prevention – last year we successfully helped over 1,000 households avoid becoming homeless.
“For those people that may have mental health issues there is specialist support available through their GP and the NHS."
UPDATE: After writing this story, Janet and Brian were given temporary accommodation at New Street hostel in Stourport, before moving into a new one bed property in the town.
DAN'S STORY
"I'm smiling now – I can see a future. I see the world in a more positive light. When your situation changes, everything else changes."
Sat in the warmth and welcome of Kidderminster's Youth House, Dan, 18, can't seem to stop smiling. It’s a broad, sincere smile that lights up the room; it’s the smile of a grateful man.
Yet just a few weeks ago this charming, friendly teenager was at a low ebb. Homeless, sad and alone, he thought his future was bleak.
That’s why he is so eager to articulate his gratitude for the charity and the strangers that have been his saviour, welcoming him into their home and hearts.
Dan is one of the dozens of young people who were given a bed, practical help and emotional support by Wyre Forest Nightstop last year when they found themselves facing the prospect of homelessness.
After turning 18, Dan had to vacate the supported living project in Worcester that had been home for two years, and he found himself with nowhere else to go.
He ended up in Kidderminster and was advised to visit the Youth House, in Bromsgrove Street, which houses a range of youth services including the charity Wyre Forest Nightstop, where he found a welcome that far exceeded his expectations.
Within hours of turning up on a cold winter’s day and being accepted by the charity, Dan was taken to the home of Alison and Hugh Burton, one of four host families in Wyre Forest who support the charity’s work.
“As soon as I walked into the house the atmosphere was very welcoming. From my past experiences I didn’t know what to expect…but it was great.”
Listen and Watch: Dan talks about his experience
The couple, who have four grown up children of their own, invited Dan to spend Christmas Day with them – an experience both Dan and his hosts found mutually heart-warming.
Dan is now back in education, and has secured a two year tenancy in a local housing project. He is also now a regular volunteer at the Youth House, doing his bit to support the charity that was there for him. He’s receiving counselling organised by the charity and, for the first time, is looking forward with confidence.
“Before I came here it felt like the situation I was in wasn’t going to end, I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but now I can definitely see a future and how things have improved.”
The emergency accommodation project run by Nightstop in Wyre Forest is one of a network of services across the country supported by the charity Depaul.
Formed in 2005, the Wyre Forest service has grown significantly and now offers a range of support for young people aged 16-25 and their families.
In the years ahead their work will increasingly focus on prevention and early intervention for young people and families in crisis but the emergency night project remains its core service.
Last year a total of 127 emergency nights were provided to young people, all hosted in family homes.
The charity also supported a total of 668 young people who feared homelessness or were in distress.
Its family mediation service, currently offered in north Worcestershire, is expanding into south Worcestershire this year after the charity secured a contract to deliver a five year programme of support there.
Last year 26 Wyre Forest families were supported through 70 mediation sessions, designed to help repair broken relationships between young people and their parents or carers, or to support families going through crisis.
The service also links up with secondary schools in Kidderminster and Bewdley, offering interactive homelessness sessions. Their schools education programme reached 552 students through planned sessions and outreach work during 2017.
It doesn't stop there – the charity is also lead partner in the Axis Youth Hub along with Our Way, KDYT and the Basement project. The Hub supported 111 young people last year, working alongside 28 local agencies including Wyre Forest District Council, Citizens’ Advice, Swanswell drug and alcohol service, social workers and the Department of Work & Pensions.
Nightstop relies on a range of incomes including grants, local trusts, statutory funding from Wyre Forest District Council, business support and fundraising events.
THE BURTON'S STORY
Could you offer a bed in your home to a homeless stranger? That's what Kidderminster couple Alison and Hugh Burton do on a regular basis. They are one of Wyre Forest Nightstop's host families, providing help in an emergency to young people with nowhere else to go
"At first it was strange having someone we'd never met in our home, but it’s really not a big undertaking. We’re not doing anything very special. We have the space, and these young people need somewhere safe to stay." (Alison, host family)
Alison Burton, speaking in the home she shares with vicar husband Hugh, is modest about their role as a host family for Nightstop.
They are one of four households who currently provide the service for young people from across north Worcestershire.
They step in when they are contacted by the charity about a young person who needs emergency accommodation, often after being kicked out of home, or who have left to avoid confrontation or abuse, after leaving care, or for a host of other reasons.
Together the host families provided an emergency bed on 127 separate occasions in 2017.
That meant dozens of young people who might have otherwise ended up in a homeless shelter, or even sleeping rough, were instead welcomed into a loving family home where they received food, a bed and a listening ear.
Says Alison, a part time cycling proficiency trainer:
“It’s been an eye opener for us. We live a very settled, happy life and our relationships with our four children have always been good.
“We both come from stable families, so to meet people who have been thrown out for whatever reason, or have ended up homeless because life has been so difficult for them – that is a real eye opener.”
“It’s lovely to have a very small hand in helping someone who is struggling.”
The couple signed up as a host family in 2012 after hearing how desperate the need was for families happy to provide a bed for the night for a young man or woman who was otherwise homeless.
“At the time our children had pretty much all left home. We live in a large rectory (husband Hugh is a team rector for Kidderminster East parish, overseeing five churches) so it just hit me between the eyes that this was something we could do.”
The couple, like all host families, were closely vetted and received training before being accepted for the scheme six years ago. They have since provided dozens of nights of help, supporting 30 young people in total.
Usually it’s a fleeting encounter, of one or two nights; occasionally, an extended stay of several nights is needed while longer term accommodation is found.
One of the young people they helped recently was Dan, whose story is included above.
“He had stayed with us just before Christmas and we were happy to invite him to join us for Christmas lunch. It was lovely.”
Alison added: “Some of the young people can be very quiet, some can be over-confident and you know that’s a front really. We are not given many details about what has been the problem so we don’t pry too much. You have to be careful not to do what we are not trained to do – they have social workers and professionals supporting them. But we listen if they want to talk.”
She added: “I don’t have any answers to the problem of homelessness. It is often about relationships really, and their breakdown.
“Coming here briefly can give them a little experience of how relationships can be – it’s not much but it’s something positive.”
The young people are always interviewed and assessed for suitability before they are driven to the emergency hosts by a Nightstop team member.
Charity chief executive Judith Ford said the host families provide an invaluable service to young people, giving them the space to ‘reset’ while a package of support and a way forward is worked out.
They might have been thrown out of home, or ran away from violence or abuse. They might have had a row with mum or dad, and everyone involved just needs a timeout to catch their breath.
A short term tenancy might have ended, or a relationship with a partner or friend has broken down.
Whatever the cause of the misery, the Burtons and three other host families are waiting, happy to be “the port in a storm”.
“They provide an incredibly important service for us and the young people we support.
The final word goes to Alison:
“It’s a very small thing we do and lots of people could do it.”
Finding help if you're at risk of homelessness in Wyre Forest
Casual observers sometimes believe the only form of homelessness is 'rough sleeping' - those who have nowhere to lay their head but a bench, doorway, park or cemetery.
This is the most extreme form of homelessness. On any given night at least 4,500 people are sleeping rough across the country.
But thousands more people are part of an army of hidden homeless - people who have no place they can honestly call home.
Some stay with relatives and friends, crashing on sofas or floors or spare beds until their welcome is outstayed. Others secure places in temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfast hotels, hostels, night shelters and refuges. Often this is poor quality and can have a negative impact on health and well-being.
According to the homeless charity Shelter, an individual or family is homeless if they "do not have a legal right to occupy accommodation, or if their accommodation is unsuitable to live in."
This can cover a wide range of circumstances, including:
• having no accommodation at all
• having accommodation that is not reasonable to live in, even in the short-term (usually because of violence or health reasons)
• having a legal right to accommodation that you cannot access (if you have been evicted illegally)
• living in accommodation you have no legal right to occupy (living in a squat).
Local councils have a legal duty to provide advice and assistance to people who are legally defined as homeless or threatened with homelessness.If you fear homelessness might be imminent, or you are struggling to meet your rent or mortgage commitments, you can get help from a wide range of organisations.
In Wyre Forest, the council's housing team now oversee the official housing register, which currently has a waiting list of 3,200 households. (Jul 2018)
Each year around 200 of the total social housing stock of 6,000 homes are freed up to be offered to those on the housing register, along with another 200 places in sheltered or specialist accommodation.
The vast majority of those homes will be offered to people with the highest housing need - including those who meet the legal definition of homelessness.
"We all hear of people who complain that they have been on the list for years, or that some people are jumping the queue, and so on. To be honest, that is how it works and how it should work," said Councillor Chris Rogers, who is the district councillor with responsibility for housing.
"We have to rationalise access to homes to those who have the highest level of need.
"For example a parent might be desperate to move house to be nearer a particular school or relative. They may well have been on the housing register for years but they will never get to the top of the list.
"The question we have to ask is where do we draw the line between those who really need help, and those who can perhaps do more to help themselves?
"There are an awful lot of people who ask for help but don't really need it; and equally those who are struggling but don't seek help soon enough and wait for the bailiffs to be at their door, or a tenancy to end.
"We need to get those who we really can help to come forward sooner, long before they become homeless."
From November last year homeless families and individuals were able to access to bespoke temporary accommodation in New Street, Stourport.
The premises has 11 ensuite bedrooms and shared living spaces to provide a temporary home for families and individuals in dire straits, usually ahead of moving into a more permanent place.
Previously an empty Grade Two listed building, it was converted to support the council's overall homelessness and housing strategy.
A dedicated homeless support officer works with tenants to come up with long term solutions and also assist with benefits, job applications, housing search, schooling and physical and mental health issues.
"It has been a success already, definitely," said Councillor Rogers. "Providing B&B accommodation was a huge waste of money and often was no good for tenants; and in fact we were penalised for using B&Bs so it was costing us around £50,000 a year.
"Now people have a place to stay where they can work out what to do next, with lots of support."
USEFUL CONTACT NUMBERS
Wyre Forest Hub at Kidderminster Town Hall - speak to a housing officer to discuss your circumstances and see how they can help or visit the district council website for advice about your options.
For general enquiries call 01562 732928 and for emergency out of hours help call 01562 850053.
Wyre Forest Axis youth hub, based at Kidderminster Youth House, provides help for young people up to 25 requiring practical and emotional support, including emergency accommodation www.axisyouthhub.org
Kidderminster Foodbank - visit the website here
Money Advice Service - An independent service, set up by the government to help people make the most of their money, giving free, unbiased money advice to everyone across the UK, online, over the phone and face to face. View the Money Advice Service website.
Wyre Forest Citizens Advice Bureau - view the website here.
Shelter - The housing and homelessness charity offers advice on a number of subjects including homelessness, finding a place to live, repossession, eviction and money & arrears. View the Shelter website
