Peterborough couple offer hope for homeless after life on the streets
Billy and Rebecca were homeless for 10 months
A Peterborough couple believe they've found a new lease of life after living rough on the streets.
Billy, 27 and Rebecca, 21, were made homeless in December last year after being evicted from their flat following complaints made by neighbours.
Rebecca recalled when "things got bad, (herself and Billy were) turning to drugs and alcohol; we didn't know what we were doing."
For around a month since becoming homeless, the pair were living on a boat before managing to get a tent to sleep in.
"You don't know who's about and while you're sleeping, anyone can come to the tent," Rebecca said.
"It's perseverance; every day, you've got to have that hope that something might change.
"You might get a housing update and it moves you that one step forward, so it gives you that positive hope."
'I'd probably be a lot more unstable'
A few days before they were evicted, Billy and Rebecca - who had previously been to the Garden House where homeless charity Light Project Peterborough work from - were reminded by Billy's cousin about going back to them for help.
Since then, the couple received help with the likes of their mental health and housing advice and in October, they moved into accommodation.
"It's made a major impact knowing we had the support and we can start getting ourselves sorted and start moving in the right direction," Billy said.
As for Rebecca, without the support, she admitted she wouldn't "know where I'd be right now.
"I'd probably be a lot more mentally unstable, not knowing what to do with my life."
Charity sees more than one new person a day
Last month, Light Project Peterborough saw 44 new presentations, where a person or household contacts the charity about support with homelessness for the first time.
The charity say since April this year, 239 new people have visited the Garden House for help, and are expecting more than one new person a day to do the same.
Local authorities in the East of England are due to receive £4 million as part of the Government's £84m scheme to try and tackle homelessness nationally.
"There are some people out there that don't have the hope, but you've got to stick strong and work through it because if you work hard, it (support) will come," Rebecca added.