Homeless in pitched-up tents claim being an addict would get them help quicker

Shawn Kelly, aged 41, Sheryl Richardson, aged 38, and Jason Byford, aged 19, have been living in one-man tents by the Newbury United Reformed Church since April.
Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News last week, the group said that despite approaching West Berkshire Council for help, they believed that local homeless people with addictions were being given a priority, leaving them left by the wayside.
Mr Byford said: “I have been homeless in Newbury for about a year now.
“They won’t put me in Two Saints because I don’t take drugs...because I’m not vulnerable enough. I’m dyslexic, I can’t read or write.”
Mr Byford, originally from Leeds, moved to West Berkshire due to family links in Pangbourne, however a dispute later left him homeless. He has remained in the area due to his partner, Jasmine Rowlette, aged 18, falling pregnant and who has since been given emergency accommodation locally.
Mr Kelly, originally from Coventry, came to West Berkshire to be with Ms Richardson who has family links in Brightwalton and Newbury. However, he said that due to him having left his previous accommodation as a result of issues with other occupants, he was deemed as being “intentionally homeless”, had therefore been refused support from West Berkshire Council.
When asked if the district council was aware of the group, spokeswoman Peta Stoddart-Crompton would only say: “The council's housing service is aware of most rough sleepers within the district and their locations.
“The council funds an outreach worker, who works for Two Saints, who makes regular welfare checks on known rough sleepers and who is working to engage rough sleepers with relevant services and encourage them

to pursue their housing options.”
And she denied that people with substance and alcohol addictions were not given priority over others.
“An applicant must be eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need in order for a full housing duty to accepted,” she said. “Substance misuse or addiction would not automatically imply priority need.
“The council commissions a number of emergency beds through its contract with Two Saints, for the purposes of meeting its statutory homeless duties.
“Any resident can approach the council for advice on their housing options. Households who are at risk of homelessness are encouraged to approach prior to becoming homeless so that we can try to prevent them from losing their home.
“If the council determined that a household had made themselves intentionally homeless, they would not owe a full housing duty to those households. We would continue to offer advice and assistance to support the applicant to secure their own accommodation.”