0:00:07 > 0:00:09We've all seen the Big Issue being sold on our streets.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13And most of us think this is the closest we'll get to homelessness.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Big Issue, madam? Have a nice day.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19But Wales's largest homelessness charity, Shelter Cymru,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23are warning we may be closer to the problem than we first think.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26This is happening to thousands of people across Wales.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28It could be anyone who's homeless.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Within six months, I'd gone from earning £25,000 a year
0:00:31 > 0:00:34and a company car to, you know,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36having no money whatsoever
0:00:36 > 0:00:40and every now and again, spending a night on a park bench.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Between 2010-11, there were over 6,000 households
0:00:43 > 0:00:47officially classed as homeless in Wales.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50But official figures underestimate the true scale of the problem,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52hiding the numbers sleeping rough,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55in temporary accommodation or on a friend's sofa.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58These are the hidden homeless.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02People who come to us are running out of options. They've used their savings,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04borrowed off parents and friends,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07used credit cards sometimes to pay off a mortgage,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and they're simply running out of options.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Now, with official numbers at a five-year high
0:01:12 > 0:01:162012 is set to be a difficult year for many.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19If there's any change in interest rates
0:01:19 > 0:01:22or indeed if the housing market starts picking up,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24at that time, we could see an awful lot of people
0:01:24 > 0:01:28suddenly finding themselves facing repossession actions.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32We'll travel across Wales and discover we are all vulnerable.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35We look at the traumatic affects on people's lives
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and learn what each of us can do
0:01:37 > 0:01:41to keep this issue from coming close to home.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It's an early start in Wales' capital.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55After losing his sales job with an electrical wholesaler,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58experiencing the failure of a relationship
0:01:58 > 0:02:00and having little family support,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Matt suddenly found the streets of Cardiff had become his home.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09After me and my wife split up, um...
0:02:09 > 0:02:12that was really my home, you know what I mean?
0:02:12 > 0:02:14You become used to your little job and little life,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18but once one of those things goes and maybe another thing will go,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22next thing you know, those things you were relying on all the time
0:02:22 > 0:02:24aren't there any more.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Matt's story is not unique.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Like many cases of homelessness,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31the double hit of income shock and relationship breakdown
0:02:31 > 0:02:34were all he needed to tip him over the edge.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39I get here between 8:30 and 9:10am every day.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43I come here to buy magazines first thing in the morning
0:02:43 > 0:02:44before I set off up to Radyr.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Matt is just one of many Big Issue vendors in Wales.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Running for over 20 years,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53the charity helps homeless and vulnerably-housed people
0:02:53 > 0:02:55earn a legitimate income.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Bringing a sense of control back into their lives.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02You buy the magazines, then sell them for double the price you've paid for them.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Once you've purchased them, there's no taking them back.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09You've got to make sure you're here every day, working for a long period.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Matt's now happy and has a new partner in his life.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16But looking back, he never expected to be where he is now.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21So I was sofa-surfing with friends, and that became a bit difficult.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I spent a few nights on the streets, which wasn't particularly nice.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Eventually, I got myself into the YMCA,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29which was a great, great support.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33And just very recently, through the help of the YMCA,
0:03:33 > 0:03:34I've managed to get a studio flat,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38which I've been in for a couple of weeks now, but that's been great.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41It's so easy to fall off the edge.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43By the time you've come round to the situation,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46you've probably lost your home, lost your job,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49you haven't got much family left around you
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and you've got to start all over again.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Losing it all is bad enough in the city,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01but here in rural Powys,
0:04:01 > 0:04:06the most sparsely-populated area in the whole of England and Wales,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08the issue can be even harder.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11With fewer facilities and services than urban areas of Wales,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13it can be extremely tough.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Homelessness in Mid Wales is very strange
0:04:19 > 0:04:22because it's not like a town, an urban area,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24where you see people lying in the streets.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27We're so rural and so isolated,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29it's a very hidden problem.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Charities like Phoenix throw a lifeline
0:04:33 > 0:04:34to people who were once homeless,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36providing much-needed furniture
0:04:36 > 0:04:39to help those who have now found a place to live.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43I had a chap last year in his 70s who was sleeping in a tent.
0:04:43 > 0:04:48When he got a property, he had nothing to put in it at all.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53Right. So we're looking for code LD55011.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57I see people on home visits in really difficult situations.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00People living literally in barns
0:05:00 > 0:05:03and, you know, without running water.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07And you can't believe it can still happen in this country.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11And for Lee, living rough in the countryside was once a cold reality.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15He moved from over the border into the Llandrindod area
0:05:15 > 0:05:17to work for a local transport company,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20but was unprepared for what was to happen.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26I was a bus driver. I have been on and off for about 20 years.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I thoroughly enjoyed it.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30All around the local area.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31Ended up losing my job.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Became homeless for about six weeks.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37It was awful. Worst experience of my life.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41I was staying in a disused cottage.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44It was being renovated.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46It opens your eyes.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49When you've been a working person all your life
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and then you suddenly find yourself homeless.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53Um...
0:05:53 > 0:05:56It is...I wouldn't wish it on anybody.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01It's difficult to describe to someone who hasn't gone through it.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04You've lost all identity.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06You've got no self-esteem,
0:06:06 > 0:06:11you don't feel like you belong with the rest of society.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Don't ever think it couldn't happen to you
0:06:14 > 0:06:16because quite simply, it could.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18You know, you've got responsibilities
0:06:18 > 0:06:21with any animals you've got, your children,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23your priority is to have a roof over your head.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31There's a lot of things I'd like to say that I can't because...
0:06:34 > 0:06:37It is really difficult to talk about.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Despite terrible living conditions,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Lee wasn't eligible for support
0:06:46 > 0:06:49when he approached his local authority.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Like many others, he wasn't deemed to be priority.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Councils assess cases of homelessness by need.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58But because Lee had no dependant children,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00was over 17 and not considered vulnerable,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03his case for housing was turned down.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Lee's living situation had a detrimental affect on his health.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Desperate for help, he turned to the support charity Gwynfa,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15who immediately organised a doctor's appointment.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17And through their bond scheme,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20he helped to secure a flat with a private landlord.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Somewhere he now calls home.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26It was literally an empty shell. I didn't have any furniture at all.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29And I was sleeping on the floor for six months.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33I went to Phoenix in Llandod to get the furniture
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and I'm quite comfortable now.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40It makes such a difference to a person. It raises self-esteem.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44And, of course, that's what starts people helping themselves
0:07:44 > 0:07:48and getting back into society again.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Not only does homelessness affect every region in Wales,
0:07:56 > 0:07:57it affects every age group.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Last year, over 600 16-21 year olds
0:08:00 > 0:08:03were made homeless across Wales.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06And the numbers aren't going unnoticed
0:08:06 > 0:08:08by the charity Gisda here in North Wales.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10They are tackling the issue head-on
0:08:10 > 0:08:14by running homeless-prevention workshops in local schools.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46So what we do, we come into schools,
0:08:46 > 0:08:51we work with young people of all ages, usually Year 9 and upwards.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54And we do homeless-prevention workshops,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56such as what we've done today.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Most people think that homelessness is the tramps,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02dirty, living on the side of the streets with dogs.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Drug, alcohol problems. It's a message to try and get them
0:09:05 > 0:09:08to think that it can happen to anybody at any time.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15Gisda's workshops aim to change
0:09:15 > 0:09:18some of the misconceptions about homelessness.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20And they hope that raising awareness
0:09:20 > 0:09:25will keep a new generation from experiencing life without a home.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Prevention is a key part of their work.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32A lot of the time, young people come to us and they've been kicked out
0:09:32 > 0:09:36because of silly little things that have been happening at home.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37Such as not helping around the house.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40If they're working, they haven't been paying their way.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44They're cheeky, they're fighting with their siblings.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46And instead of sitting down and discussing this
0:09:46 > 0:09:48and trying to come to an arrangement
0:09:48 > 0:09:51of how we could try and improve this and work together,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53it ends up that the parents kick them out.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07And in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gisda throws a lifeline to homeless
0:10:07 > 0:10:11young people at Christmas. A very emotional time of the year.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14I need to show what to do with the safe when I go home.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I might just stay around here,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and see what it actually feels like
0:10:19 > 0:10:22to have Christmas in a homeless hostel.
0:10:22 > 0:10:2518-year-old Liam moved into the area,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29and was made homeless after a breakdown in family relationships.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33He's now living in supported accommodation.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35I would like to be up in Leicester
0:10:35 > 0:10:38with my mum, my little brothers and my stepdad,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41but unfortunately I haven't got the money to go down,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43so I can't go up there.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45What happened to the Christmas songs?
0:10:45 > 0:10:47It's a tough time for the young people,
0:10:47 > 0:10:52because, obviously, Christmas is known as to be family time.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55And some of our young people don't have that relationship
0:10:55 > 0:10:58with their families, to be able to spend,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00you know, two or three days with them.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Some young people choose to spend the day in bed,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05because they can't face it, which is understandable.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10It's just a case of it being so much pressure for that day, some of them just can't cope with it.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14There. Now it's on.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18We have about 56 young people on our books at any one time,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21and I know that we have waiting lists as well,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23and they have to do a lot that maybe
0:11:23 > 0:11:27we'll never have to deal with in our lives.
0:11:27 > 0:11:2917-year-old Laura is now making a new start.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32She is learning to take control
0:11:32 > 0:11:34of her own life following a traumatic past.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37When she moved to Wales from Hereford,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41she wasn't prepared for what was to happen a year later.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45My mum passed away in 2006, so I had to move with my dad,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48which I hadn't seen my dad before that.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Basically, me and my father didn't really get on.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Laura found herself sofa surfing,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58forced to spend the night on different sofas,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02sharing with people she barely knew.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I was a mummy's girl, I've never really got on with my father.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09I was a mummy's girl, she knew how to look after me.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12How old were you when your mum passed away?
0:12:12 > 0:12:14It was just before my 12th birthday.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19It was a month and a half before my 12th birthday.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21So, yeah...
0:12:35 > 0:12:38If you think about what a home is, how important a home is
0:12:38 > 0:12:41to people's lives, then being without a home
0:12:41 > 0:12:44is one the most difficult situations, I would suggest,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47a person or a family could actually face.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50If you think about it, a home is somewhere private, secure,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53healthy, somewhere you can bring up your kids.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55If you haven't got that situation,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57even though you may have a shelter over your head,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00if you're living in temporary accommodation,
0:13:00 > 0:13:05or somewhere insecure, that's not really a home.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Wales's largest homelessness charity. Shelter Cymru.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14work on the frontline of homelessness, and in Wrexham,
0:13:14 > 0:13:19advisers like Fiona Roberts are facing an increasing case load.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22In Wrexham, some of the major issues around housing
0:13:22 > 0:13:25and homelessness are to do with rent arrears.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29We are now seeing more migrant workers who come over here,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32had good jobs, taken up private accommodation,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34and now they've lost their job.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42We've been working with this client since May this year.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Previously good tenant, the landlord's happy
0:13:44 > 0:13:46with the way they've kept the property, etc,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50but due to the fact that he's lost his job, got another job,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53then lost that job again, and had problems with benefits,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55he's got into rent arrears.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59If we can get the arrears cleared...
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Grachan moved from Poland looking for a job,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04and now lives in Wrexham with his family.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09His translator and support worker, Paulina, is now helping
0:14:09 > 0:14:11with his housing problems.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12He does OK...
0:14:13 > 0:14:17With work beginning to dry up, and growing health issues,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Grachan found himself getting behind with the rent.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23He's worried that his family may be evicted from their home.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25I think one of the things that's been very clear to us
0:14:25 > 0:14:27in the organisation,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30certainly what our housing caseworkers often talk about,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33is that people come to them, and they're saying,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36"I can't believe I'm actually asking Shelter Cymru for help.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38"I cannot believe I'm in this situation.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41"A few months ago everything was going fine to me."
0:14:41 > 0:14:44And then something happens that suddenly knocks people
0:14:44 > 0:14:45completely off the rails.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47It's up to the landlord
0:14:47 > 0:14:50whether he enforces that by going for an eviction warrant.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Rent arrears is a big issue for a lot of our clients.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57From my point of view, once somebody gets two months' arrears,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01they should be working with the client then to try and sort out the problem,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04rather than let it accumulate to three, four, five thousand pounds,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06which we do see in some cases.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10The number of people who come to our service, I think,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13who are in a state of shock apart from anything else,
0:15:13 > 0:15:19actually, we could argue that we're all three pay cheques away from losing our home.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Every part of Wales is touched by housing difficulties.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Even the most affluent parts of the country.
0:15:37 > 0:15:43I didn't think that I would ever be the person that would become homeless.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I was working, I had a home, the bills were all paid,
0:15:47 > 0:15:53and...one thing leads to another, you just...
0:15:53 > 0:15:55and everything's gone in a flash, I suppose.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Carla's marriage broke down,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01and the upheaval meant she was forced to finish work.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06I was having time off work to go and try and sort out debts,
0:16:06 > 0:16:11I'd become in debt with council tax arrears, trying to bring up three children,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13so I ended up losing my job, which was hard,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17especially since I've worked since I've left school,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20and this is probably the first time that I've been out of work.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23It was horrible. It got to the stage where I was just...
0:16:23 > 0:16:29I wasn't opening the letters, I was putting the bills to one side, not even opening them.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31You just dread the post coming to the door, then.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34You just...bury your head in the sand, I suppose.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37We had letters saying that we were going to lose the house,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41obviously repossession because we couldn't keep up with mortgage payments.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45It was just really worrying, especially with three young children,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48it's like, we didn't know where we were going to end up.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52It could have been on the streets. We just didn't know what was going to happen, basically.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56And of course, it's not just the adults that are affected.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Mum told us what was going on from the start, she wanted to be honest with us
0:16:59 > 0:17:03and let us know what was going on, so, like, we wouldn't have any surprises,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06or be shocked if we were to leave or anything like that.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10If we didn't know what was going on, it would be more confusing,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13we wouldn't really understand the situation better.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16There was a stage, obviously, when I was boxing everything up,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and there was boxes everywhere, and you just couldn't move.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23It didn't feel like mine anymore, because we didn't know what was happening.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28At that time, we didn't know where to turn. We didn't know that there was support out there.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33My dad was extremely worried, so was my mum. If they could help, they would.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36You know, they're - both of them are pensioners,
0:17:36 > 0:17:42so they couldn't come and pay the mortgage or pay my debts for me, even though they wanted to.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44My dad was really worried.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Erm...And unfortunately, he died at the end of August,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51so, yeah, it was really hard, tough.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Carla eventually went for help.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Support and care organisation Gwalia helped her to get in touch with creditors
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and restructure her debts and mortgage.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07She is still hoping to stay in the property,
0:18:07 > 0:18:13but has 12 months to find a job, or she could potentially see her home repossessed.
0:18:14 > 0:18:20Last year, Blaenau Gwent was revealed to be Wales's repossession hotspot.
0:18:20 > 0:18:26Meanwhile, social housing and spending cuts are also proving to be challenging
0:18:26 > 0:18:31as councils throughout Wales struggle to meet their responsibilities.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35But most worryingly for homeless charities in Wales,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39nearly 4,000 young people are seeing their housing benefit drop by a third -
0:18:39 > 0:18:43an average reduction of £26 per week.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46This could lead to a significant rise in homelessness in 2012.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50And debt, one of the major contributors to homelessness,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53is the number one concern for the people of Wales.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Access to easy credit once provided warm comfort,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00but now the cold is beginning to bite,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03as homeowner Adrian from Crosskeys is now finding out.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10I've lived in this house now for coming up to seven years.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14I first purchased it in June 2005.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16I love my house.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17I love my house!
0:19:17 > 0:19:19It's sad to think that it could be taken away.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Adrian bought his house at the height of a boom.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25And like many other mortgage holders,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28he borrowed money on the strength of his property value
0:19:28 > 0:19:32to fund renovations, a new car and holidays.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Well, I was a bit reckless at the time, you know, spending too much here, a bit there,
0:19:36 > 0:19:42but the house was done, and then they'd always let us have another ten grand, say.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47We had to get a new kitchen, new bathroom, plastering,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50it was a lot of money at the time.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53But the credit-fuelled party was about to end,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55along with the relationship with his partner.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00Fixed term finished in 2007, I think it was,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03and the mortgage had shot up by three, four hundred pound then.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06When I first bought this house, I was with somebody, as well,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08so I wasn't expecting to, er...
0:20:08 > 0:20:12To be supporting myself in a year on my own, like.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Now off sick because of the stress,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Adrian is struggling to pay the bills.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22His statutory sick pay isn't enough to meet all his payments.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27Adrian admits himself that he didn't prepare for the difficult times that have now hit him.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29I felt like I'd buried my head.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Wouldn't pay one bill one month, and then pay it a couple of months later,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36and then fall behind again on it.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41Unfortunately, with the mortgage, it, er...was just too much for me.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46With his mortgage now months in arrears, the bank is threatening repossession.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Adrian has to regularly attend court to try and keep his home.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Dealing with the mortgage company is tough.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Especially when he believes there is now little sympathy
0:20:57 > 0:21:01from an institution that was once happy to shower him with money.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06I... You just...beat yourself up about actually ringing them, don't you?
0:21:06 > 0:21:07Really? I mean, you just...
0:21:07 > 0:21:13You put it off until tomorrow, until tomorrow, and it's always, tomorrow never comes, really.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18I'd phoned them this week, on Monday, to make a payment, and they were literally telling me not to.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I said to them, "What's the best thing for me to do?"
0:21:20 > 0:21:25She said, "We're going for the eviction date, and we're going to get you out of here."
0:21:25 > 0:21:31Adrian is desperate to get off the sick and get back to work to avoid losing his home.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36I do miss the routine of being able to get up and go, go to work.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40I enjoyed my job, I enjoyed chatting with customers,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42helping the customers, um...
0:21:48 > 0:21:50I'm just...
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Adrian faces an uncertain future.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58He hopes he can hold onto his property and avoid being made homeless.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01But the clock is ticking, and none of us can predict the future.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13We only need to look at the news to see we are living in tough times,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and for some people, the headlines have come very close to home.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- TV:- 'Good afternoon.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22'More than 200 people at the Cardiff headquarters of the clothing retailer Peacocks
0:22:22 > 0:22:24'have been told they'll be made redundant.'
0:22:24 > 0:22:29Someone's just posted here from 16 minutes ago, saying,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32"It's official, I'm out of my job and my heart has been broken."
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Which, obviously, is quite hard to hear,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39especially when I don't know if I'm still employed or not.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44After four years with Peacocks, in a career he loved,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Matt is now facing redundancy.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48He could potentially lose his Cardiff Bay flat.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52But official news of his own job is not coming through fast.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57My main source of information currently is Facebook, really,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59which is quite strange.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- TV:- 'Everyone is gutted. Absolutely gutted.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05'And everyone's looking for jobs, so...'
0:23:05 > 0:23:06It is at the back of my mind,
0:23:06 > 0:23:11I'm thinking, "Will I be able to pay my rent, will I have enough money for my bills?"
0:23:11 > 0:23:13"Am I going to get paid this month?"
0:23:13 > 0:23:16I am waiting for that one phone call.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23It's clearly going to be a long day for Matt as he waits for news.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29I've seen the news report that 249 jobs have gone from Peacocks,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and I don't know if I'm one of them.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38And Matt's worst fears are realised later that day.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41It's now 9:30pm at night.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45I've just found out I've lost my job.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Contemplating his future,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Matt takes a trip to see his former work colleague, Vicky,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57who has just had the news that she has also been dreading for some time.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04The house I've got, I rent, um... My rent is due next Monday,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and as of now I don't know if I'm going to be able to pay it.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Obviously, if I can't keep up with my rent payments, I'm going to have to move out.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14It's been a quick learning curve for Vicky.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17She has already visited her local council,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and is helping Matt get to grips with benefits.
0:24:19 > 0:24:25She has also found out that her housing benefit is unlikely to cover her current rent.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30It's quite easy to see now, being in the situations, how easy it is for people to become homeless.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34So with the help of a Shelter Cymru caseworker,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38the two are discovering more about their individual housing rights.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42But the fine detail of Matt's tenancy agreement is worrying.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44The two situations are slightly different,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47because you've got slightly different rights.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Matt, the moment your fixed-term tenancy ends,
0:24:51 > 0:24:56the landlord can at any time now, until another fixed term's signed,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58- give you a two-month notice. - Mm-hmm.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02He can the apply to court for an order to evict you.
0:25:02 > 0:25:08He has actually already given you a notice that says the tenancy is to be terminated.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13I've got a couple of concerns about whether the notice he's given is actually legally valid.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17The impact on you, if this doesn't get sorted,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19is that he could just look to evict you.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26The future may look bleak and uncertain for Matt and Vicky,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28but back in the centre of Cardiff,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Big Issue's Matt is making the most of his situation.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I've just been given a Vendor of the Month award,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38I've been overjoyed at the fact that I managed to get it,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42and the amount of effort I put in, I wasn't expecting anything, really,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and for it to happen has been brilliant.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47This really can happen to anyone,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51and you really should take five minutes to speak to someone, to find out what their story is,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55because, you know, anyone who thinks they're too big or too proud that it could happen to them,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57you know, it really can.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59You should make the most of every day you've got, really.
0:25:59 > 0:26:05I think education's a really important aspect of tackling homelessness,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07and raising awareness of housing problems.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Trying to move people away from those kind of stereotypical ideas
0:26:11 > 0:26:14that people have of people who might become homeless.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16It's trying to break down myths and stereotypes,
0:26:16 > 0:26:21that idea that there's a feckless group of people who almost make themselves homeless on purpose,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23that is, in our experience.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25It's clear we all have a lot to learn,
0:26:25 > 0:26:30and often the people best placed to give advice are those who have been through it themselves.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Get advice, seek advice, really.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34As much as possible.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Everybody says about opening your mail,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I think there was times I'd have a bag full of mail.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Don't be afraid.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49I feel stronger now, looking through them, than what I did before,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53because I know that I'm actually dealing with the situation,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55and I'm not leaving it, like I was.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00I'd advise other people to get help straight away,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04um...deal with it as and when it comes.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Don't leave it.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09And it's not worth the worry, just try and sort it,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11you'll feel a lot better.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd