‘It’s degrading’ Man living in tent while waiting for housing decision
AMAN has said he feels “hopeless and worthless” after living in a tent in his uncle’s back garden since last summer.
Stuart Hodge found himself homeless last July and prefers to be sleeping in a tent to being in a hostel, as he says he feels safer.
Mr Hodge also claimed he still hadn’t been able to bid for social housing in Bristol despite his application being submitted nearly 21 weeks ago.
Bristol City Council has apologised for the length of time taken to process this application and said assessments have now been completed allowing the bid to progress.
The 49-year-old said: “I feel worthless and helpless - every day I wake up feeling no hope.
“Every day I get a feeling that I want to give up.
“The council is making it worse for me because they are not doing anything to help me.
“It [his housing situation] is keeping me away from my family and I am in the middle of nowhere but at least I am safe.
“I would not wish this on anybody.
“I would never, ever, thought I would be homeless – not in my wildest dreams.
“It has totally changed my outlook on homelessness and how easy and quickly it can happen.”
Mr Hodge - who used to live in Henbury but is now residing outside Bristol - said there have been times where temperatures have dropped to -6C while he has been living in the tent.
He has got a small gas heater – which costs him £80 a month to run – as well as a small TV and a lamp.
During the day, he is able to go inside his uncle’s house and use the shower and toilets facilities but then, at 6pm, Mr Hodge returns to the tent to give his relative some privacy.
“I try to make it as homely as I can but this is no way of living,” he added. “This is my third tent now because the other two got destroyed in storms.
“I have had four major storms since I have been here.
“It is a very windy spot and it is not ideal, it is not something I would choose to do.
“It is degrading, nobody wants to be in this situation.”
Mr Hodge said he works as a turnstyle manager at Ashton Gate but is now unable to get any shifts as he is too far from the stadium.
Instead, he is having to rely on the £410 he gets every month on universal credit.
Mr Hodge’s mental health has also deteriorated as a result of his housing situation and he is now on antidepressants.
He said sleeping in a tent is starting to impact on his physical health too and he is now suffering with back problems and tennis elbow, as well as stress headaches.
“I am majorly depressed and I have no hope for the future,” he continued. “I am not seeing anybody and I am in the middle of nowhere.
“If it was not for my uncle, I would be dead right now.
“But I want him to be able to get his life back, without me being a burden on him.”
Mr Hodge said that, on Monday next week, it will be 21 weeks since he submitted his application with HomeChoice, which residents can use to apply for social housing in Bristol.
He is also conscious that, once he is able to start bidding for properties, it could be a long time until he gets a property - with the council telling him it could take up to 18 months.
Mr Hodge continued: “I am angry because I was not expecting this to be as long as it has and because everybody I turn to for help isn’t helping.
“The only thing they [the council] want to do is put me in a hostel, but I feel safer here than I would in a hostel.
“I am no closer to getting off the streets now as to when I arrived here in July, I am no closer to bidding on my first property.
“They [the council] are not doing their job.
“It would make me feel a lot better to know that I could bid on a property as at least then I would know I had my foot on the ladder and that I was moving forward.”
In a statement, Bristol City Council said: “We apologise for the length of time taken to process this application.
“This is a complex case requiring input from several agencies, but assessments have now been completed allowing this bid to progress.’’
❝ My housing situation is keeping me away from my family. I would not wish this on anybody. I would never, ever, thought I would be homeless – not in my wildest dreams.
Stuart Hodge