THE harsh reality of sleeping on Swindon’s streets this winter has been laid bare by those forced to do so as they describe abuse, crime - and the lack of options they feel are available.

Tom, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, spoke to the Adver of how he is attempting to deal with the trauma of his son’s suicide while sleeping in a tent in a wooded area of a field. 

He has been staying there for five weeks with his rescue dog and described how he cut trees and inserted them into the ground surrounding his site to protect himself and his belongings.

But Tom, who has a split personality disorder, previously saw his other tent burned down, forcing him to squat in an abandoned house before he was kicked out of there too.

James has been sleeping rough for more than two months and described sleeping on nights where the temperature would plummet to -3 degrees.

Speaking from underneath a car park ramp where he had barricaded himself in with cushions, his duvet and his belongings to make it harder to access for others, James told us only recently how his belongings had been stolen from him adding to a long list of possessions taken because of his position.

Like Tom, he too is dealing with trauma, having to come to terms with the death of his best friend.

He said has been applying for jobs but, because he has no fixed abode, he keeps getting rejected.

“I put the Job Centre’s address down but then employers ask why am I lying about where I live,” he said.

“I’m fit and healthy enough but you need an address to get into work.

“If someone came here and offered me work, I would be straight up for it.”

A total of 31 rough sleepers were found around Swindon in December by homeless charity Threshold’s outreach team.

In the early hours the team looks for those that might need help and have been sleeping rough the night before.

But they say the true number of people living in homeless in Swindon is likely higher. Some rough sleepers are up before 6am when the outreach team starts its route of the town so they are not seen.

Swindon Borough Council has offered temporary accommodation as part of the Temporary Winter Housing Provision until March meaning more people do have a roof over their heads in the short term.

But for Tom and James, the options available are ones they feel they can’t accept.

Tom has already tried both of the council’s solutions – the emergency short-term accommodation which provides a bed for three nights and the room at a B&B used by the council.

He claims he developed a heroin and cocaine habit after staying in the B&B and says staying on the streets is preferable.

“I turned to drugs to fit in there and they knew I had mental health problems and my son had just killed himself.

“I hit rock bottom at that B&B so I can’t go back there. I’d rather be outside here and free.

“I can’t do the emergency accommodation because I can’t be around people and it’s like being in a prison with electronic doors.

“I like this life more. I don’t care how cold it gets.”

But it is not as simple as that as Tom admitted the difficulties of opening a bank account with no ID and no address.

A former DJ, Tom said he made his livelihood from the profession but after a breakup his partner sold his music equipment.

James has also been offered the temporary accommodation or told he can be referred back to Salisbury where he has connections but he is also unsure about the housing option, fearing meeting potential criminals.

“It’s freezing out here but it’s the only option for me. I really can’t go in there,” he said.

His pride and joy is his motorbike but he says he was told to sell it.

“When I do end up getting a job, it’s an asset and I won’t have to rely on taxis and buses,” he said.

“People say I should sell it for a few quid but this is going to last me forever.”

A Threshold spokesman said: “When we encounter people who resist offers of support to end rough sleeping, we do not abandon them to their own means, but we continue to visit them frequently, seek to build a meaningful professional relationship with them, establish the trust required for such individuals.

“We do it so they can be candid about their personal reasoning for sleeping rough, candid about their thoughts and feelings to such an extent that we can build a very clear picture of their real needs and identify the most appropriate care and support pathways for them.

“Some individuals do have reasons personal to them that will see them decline an offer of emergency accommodation or alternatively being placed in one of the town’s most notorious B&B’s.

“People generally cite not wanting to be around active drug users or in some cases, in relation to the B&B, they have heard about the extent of sexual, indecent, or other violent assaults which have taken place there, or the rampant drug dealing frequently taking place there or in the vicinity.

“It is simply reality that many people would prefer instead to stay in a tent or sleep on the streets when faced with such an offer.

“A suitable and safe accommodation offer is what will appeal most to rough sleepers.

“The more prevalent factor seen in the majority of persistent rough sleepers we encounter in Swindon are the significant unmet mental health support needs and also the unmet support needs for illicit substances or alcohol dependence.

“Had it not been for the significant funding made available to house so many rough sleepers since the onset of the pandemic and until this present time, then the rates of death we have seen in the broad homeless community would have been substantially higher locally than they have been.

“Simply housing people, even in the absence of other care or support factors, lessens the risk of death and lessens, if only marginally, the adverse effects of ill physical and mental health.

“We still experience difficulties in even registering some homeless people at GP surgeries and yet everyone has the legal right to register with a GP and to access medical care in the UK.”

The council said it can’t comment on the cases of Tom and James highlighted in the Adver’s report because the details are confidential.

Cabinet member for housing and public safety Cathy Martyn added: “We will always work with anyone who is rough sleeping or who returns to the streets. Any issues should be raised with us directly.

“Accommodation is offered quickly to any known rough sleeper in Swindon who has access to public funds and has a connection to the area.”

On the matter of the 31 rough sleepers counted in December, she said: “Although the numbers may seem high for those rough sleeping each month, the average number for each night paints a different picture. 

“While there were 31 people seen sleeping out for the month in December, there was only an average of three people per night as swift solutions were found or people chose to return to the accommodation they have available. 

“The reasons for rough sleeping can be complex and we will always try and find solutions for anyone who needs our assistance.”