Peterborough rough sleeper given second chance after being re-housed during COVID pandemic

Jamie had lived on the streets of Peterborough for years following a breakdown of family contact through his excessive drug use. His life on the streets was peppered with frequent small custodial sentences. He was drifting with no hope, no ambition and no direction in his life.

But he was given a second chance when coronavirus hit, and Peterborough City Council, along with the Safer off the Streets Partnership, rehoused rough sleepers and homeless residents in hotels.

Outreach workers such as Kelly Salter worked tirelessly during these initial few days to ensure people like Jamie were safe and secure. She and her colleagues would go out each day from 4am bringing people back into warmth and safety.

Kelly met Jamie when she started with the council a couple of years ago. She knew his life story well and now having the time and space to talk to him on a one-to-one basis each day in the hotel, she noticed there was a change in his mindset.

As they began talking about the issues that had led Jamie to begin his life on the streets and his experiences over the years, Jamie slowly began to decide that ‘enough was enough’ and that he wanted ‘to start to build a life that he could truly live’.

He said: “When I first said this to Kelly, she was extremely hopeful and encouraging, but I could tell that she wasn’t fully convinced, as she’d seen me make a lot of false starts before.”

Kelly began to see Jamie respond to support and regain contact with his family so steadily week by week she supported him in tackling his drug addition, talking to his sisters and daughters and allowing him to have hope. He kept a mental picture of a home front and centre of his mind every day to keep himself focused.

Kelly ensured all manner of support was available which Jamie gladly took. He has now been placed in a shared home in the city and is looking to gain employment as a warehouse operative as soon as lockdown is lifted and he is confident of achieving this.

Jamie said: “The disruption to my life on the streets, brought about by Covid-19 meant that I started seeing things very differently - I began to dream of a home, my own space, a place I could feel safe and now today, I have that.

“And I’m excited for the future for the first time in a long time. I have started seeing my daughters again in my garden and I’m proud of the changes I’ve made during lockdown.”