Homeless In A Roundabout Way
A couple in Newcastle waiting for a place to live have set up camp underneath one of the city’s busiest roundabouts.
Family pictures, wallpaper, a radio and bags of clothes all feature in Nicola and Peter’s temporary home at Swan House Roundabout.
They tell us it can be dangerous, but the police often check up on them and they stay away from others who are involved in drink and drugs.
Peter tells us he’s had all of his things stolen three times.
“We’re bidding for properties; we’re going to get a place. There is a big waiting list… there’s a lot of people looking for properties, there’s a lot of people homeless. But it doesn’t worry me, I’m not bothered.”
“People do walk past, they look in, but usually they don’t bother.”
Well they both get help at homeless charity Crisis, just down the road.
They told us that the latest figures say only seven people sleep rough in Newcastle at any one time – they fear it could be much higher.
Alongside this there will be many, many people in hostels or sofa surfing. Last year 1,311 households in Newcastle approached their local council for help with homelessness. Meanwhile, Crisis worked with more than 950 people at their centre in the city.
Listen as our reporter Charlotte Murphy went to visit Nicola and Peter:
If people are worried about someone sleeping rough, best thing to do is contact the outreach team run by Changing Lives on 0191 232 5699.