Off the radar

The Conservatives’ commitment to overhaul the methodology used to count rough sleepers prompted me to reflect on the experiences of some of Moat’s residents.

Our Colebrook Road hostel in Tunbridge Wells has welcomed more than 400 homeless people, many of them rough sleepers, since opening seven years ago. I’ve spoken with just a few about their stories and am always profoundly moved by the diversity of circumstances which lead to people living on the streets.

Some were already living marginal lives, others had a catastrophic breakdown in a life which had seemed stable and successful. Listening to their experiences of rough sleeping, what strikes me is their common experience of fear and vulnerability.

Away from the larger cities, with the possibility of safety in numbers, surely a natural instinct is to hide away where the likelihood of being found, including by the rough sleeper count, is low. Our residents have slept rough in rural and suburban areas of Kent and Sussex and confirm the efforts they have gone to in order to avoid detection.

One man spent three years living in private woodland through a period of schizophrenic breakdown. Scared of having his belongings damaged and of assault, he camouflaged his makeshift shelter and kept a low profile. Even the landowner did not know he was living there.

Another confirms the importance of staying hidden. He tried to sleep on Eastbourne beach but was regularly beaten up by gangs.

Despite a very low local rough sleeper count, there is overwhelming demand for hostels like Colebrook Road, places where people can find a secure base to rebuild their lives. Any measure which improves our understanding of the extent of rough sleeping is welcome.

Brian Johnson is chief executive of Moat