Ex-rough sleeper urges more support after rehousing

"A lot of people think that when you are homeless you are on your own, but you're not," says former rough sleeper Dean Nicholls.

"There's other homeless people, and it's the togetherness with them that helps you get through it."

For three years, Nicholls slept rough on the streets of Stafford, relying on the support of others facing the same struggles.

Now living in supported accommodation, he is trying to rebuild his life after a series of setbacks that included the death of his mother, the loss of his job, the breakdown of a relationship and an addiction to drugs.

"This is my third chance," he said.

"I have messed up a few times, but people need second and third chances in order to succeed."

Nicholls became homeless after what he described as a downward spiral following his mother's death.

"Due to a bereavement, losing my mother, I ended up losing my job, split up with my partner, and I ended up depending on drugs," he said.

After moving back to his hometown from Telford, he found himself sleeping rough.

"I was living on the streets; my mental health wasn't great, but Stafford was what I knew."

Nicholls said addiction remained a major challenge for many people experiencing homelessness.

"What they [the government] have got to understand is that a lot of us struggle with addiction," he said.

"Homelessness depresses people, and depressed people tend to use drugs to self-medicate."

He said he had been turned away from mental health services a number of times because of his addiction and had also lost accommodation he had previously been given.

"I detest the fact that I use drugs," he said.

"I was an alcoholic for a long time, and I went from alcoholism to drugs."

While welcoming government plans aimed at ending rough sleeping, Nicholls believes support needs to continue long after somebody receives a roof over their head.

For homelessness charity House of Bread, helping someone find accommodation is only the first step.

"Step one is putting you into accommodation; step two is, how can we help you manage that tenancy?" said director Will Morris.

Morris said many people needed support with budgeting, looking after a property and understanding the responsibilities that came with having a home.

"For a lot of people, their limited education means they don't actually have a full comprehension of what maintaining a tenancy looks like," he said.

"What you need to do is get in there early and say, 'Actually, you need to take ownership and be proud of this flat'."

Statistics from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show 490 people were assessed as homeless across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford and Staffordshire Moorlands between January and March 2026, while a further 337 were threatened with homelessness.

Across the West Midlands, 7390 people were either at risk of or had become homeless, meaning North Staffordshire made up 11.19% of the overall cases in that time.

For Nicholls, the focus is not on the numbers but on the chance to start again.

"I do want to wake up one day and be back to working, supporting my family and being a normal human being again," he said.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line.

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