Pennod 6 Hacio

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-Tonight on a special edition

-of Hacio...

-..I'll meet those

-who don't have a warm home...

-..or a roof over their heads

-this Christmas.

-I wake up, I go and get

-something to eat...

-..I sit around then trying

-to get money to eat at night.

-I'll look into secret homelessness

-and speak to those who sofa surf.

-I didn't want anybody to know

-what was going on at home.

-I was frightened of asking for help

-like you're someone else's problem.

-I spent a night

-on the streets myself...

-..to try to better understand

-what these people face.

-We've got the whole night

-ahead of us.

-The only thing I can think of is

-these people doing it every night.

-Between 2014 and 2015, over 14,000

-people in Wales were homeless.

-According to Welsh Government

-statistics...

-..4,000 of those were

-between 16 and 25 years old.

-Over the last few weeks

-I've been all over the country...

-..trying to meet some of the people

-behind these figures.

-The first stop is a wet and windy

-night in Bangor.

-After wandering for a while,

-I find Neil Davies.

-My mum and dad died and the house

-went to my big sister...

-..or my big brother

-and I ended up on the streets.

-Neil used to live in Caernarfon.

-He says he's been on the streets

-of Bangor for three years.

-What's it been like

-to live on the street?

-It's not too bad.

-It depends on the weather.

-So what's the biggest struggle

-of being homeless?

-There aren't many people to help.

-Well, I'll get a couple of quid

-here and there.

-But that's it really.

-He stays a few nights

-at a friend's house in Bangor.

-He says he spends

-most of his time on the street...

-..or in a tent in the forest.

-The tent blew away in the wind.

-I wake up, I get something to eat...

-..then I sit around trying

-to get money to eat at night.

-I listen to the radio.

-In the night, I do the same thing

-and then head back to the tent.

-Or, I hope to bump in to someone and

-stay at their house for the night.

-It's unpleasant. It's not nice

-to sit around all day.

-Without a home, it's difficult for

-him to get a job and days are slow.

-Except for a few meals

-at a hostel...

-..he depends on those who walk by

-for food.

-What's people's attitude toward you

-from day to day?

-They're fine. They're brilliant.

-The police are the worst.

-They drive us off for nothing.

-Everyone feels uncomfortable.

-But they have to do their jobs.

-What do you mean, uncomfortable?

-They try and send us off somewhere

-but we end up in the same place.

-We haven't got anywhere to go,

-do we?

-North Wales Police has no specific

-policy to deal with the homeless.

-But they move people on sometimes

-if they're causing trouble.

-There are two hostels for homeless

-people in Bangor.

-They can stay there

-when there's space.

-That doesn't answer

-Neil's long-term problem.

-Those places are only for a night.

-There's no point

-making a big fuss for a night.

-You don't try to get in there.

-I've been in there.

-That place is worse

-than staying out in the open.

-Why do you say that?

-There are cameras everywhere,

-it's uncomfortable.

-There are other services

-helping the homeless in Bangor.

-According to Neil, all he needs is

-a little help to get his own place.

-It would be nice to have a little

-flat to go home to.

-There's nowhere going

-as far as I know.

-There are some places going, there's

-a flat at the top here but...

-..but getting my name down

-before anyone else...

-..it's an impossible task.

-In Cardiff, the charity Llamau...

-..has arranged a night of sleeping

-rough to raise money for charity.

-180 people have come out

-to support them.

-Llamau works with the homeless.

-It tries to stop people

-getting to the streets.

-But before sleeping rough, there's

-a competition to create a shelter.

-Umm, we're building

-some kind of shelter.

-I think we're going

-to sleep in it tonight.

-It doesn't look too good

-at the minute.

-At midnight, the leisure centre

-is bubbling.

-But tonight's weather

-looks to be awful...

-..with Storm Abigail

-threatening South Wales.

-An hour later, they venture out

-to the darkness.

-Often, homeless people only have

-cardboard...

-..to shield them from the cold.

-You never know really...

-..when you'll have to depend

-on something like Llamau.

-I think it's important

-to support things like this.

-I feel bad for them, we wouldn't

-want to be in that situation.

-It's not nice, is it? Especially

-in winter when Christmas is close.

-These people were sleeping

-behind a leisure centre...

-..with the luxury of toilets

-and being able to go indoors...

-..if the weather was unbearable.

-I wanted to see what it was really

-like for homeless people.

-So, I decided to venture

-to their world, the city streets.

-It's a Wednesday,

-a few weeks before Christmas.

-As you can see it's busy.

-I've come to sleep on the streets...

-..to see what life's really like

-for the homeless.

-I took a friend with me

-to find somewhere to sleep.

-Before settling for the night...

-..I went to speak to those

-living on Cardiff's streets.

-In a shop door on Queen Street,

-I met Anthony Foster-Wells.

-After being released from prison in

-November he's been homeless...

-..as he can't afford

-to pay the rent for his old flat.

-Not very good.

-You have to struggle with clothing.

-Washing your clothes, having a wash

-in the mornings, showers.

-Money situations, having the police

-moving us on all the time.

-This is the first time ever

-he's been homeless.

-He's found it hard

-to adapt to this life.

-Me and my friend there, Ali...

-..we just pack our stuff up, carry

-our rucksacks and walk around town.

-Just to kill off the time.

-Then we come back to square one.

-We come straight back here,

-put our bedding down...

-..and lie down for the night.

-Unlike Neil's experience

-in Bangor...

-..Anthony says people in Cardiff

-aren't always kind.

-You get the odd one

-that might kick off.

-Or they spit on you

-or chuck something at you.

-You just have to deal with that,

-like.

-Just let it go over your head.

-There's not much support out there.

-After saying goodbye, we started

-looking for somewhere to sleep.

-Look. This one opens at 6.30am.

-They'll probably open up at 5.30am

-so we'd have to leave then.

-In the end, we chose

-a restaurant doorway...

-..that offered a bit of shelter

-in case it rained.

-It's 1.15am

-and we're on St Mary's Street.

-We've settled here for the night.

-The number of people

-sleeping rough in Cardiff...

-..has doubled

-over the past two years.

-On an average night, about 30 people

-sleep on the streets of the city.

-It's now 2.00am and we've been

-sitting here for about half an hour.

-A lot of people have walked past...

-..but no-one's really

-taken any notice of us.

-We have the entire night

-ahead of us.

-I can't stop thinking that these

-people have to do this every night.

-It's not just for one night.

-But I don't know how I'll even

-close my eyes, let alone sleep.

-There is another type

-of homelessness.

-In Caernarfon, I met Imogen

-Griffiths who's 19 years old.

-Hello, how are you?

-She lives in a hostel after a period

-of sleeping on friends' sofas...

-..and at her mother's.

-It wasn't nice.

-It was fine staying with friends

-for a few days.

-After that, it wasn't very nice.

-Her mother and brother

-live in a two-bedroom property.

-Imogen had moved out

-to live with her aunt.

-When things didn't work out

-between them...

-..she found herself

-having to sofa surf.

-I was frightened.

-I didn't know what was going on.

-I didn't know when I was staying

-with a friend...

-..and when I was staying

-at my mother's.

-It was a lonely time for Imogen.

-She couldn't see a way out.

-I felt ill.

-I was so sad. It was horrible.

-It wasn't nice.

-You're young,

-you're not sure what you're doing.

-You try to carry on with college

-and you work.

-Then something like this happens.

-After a while, she felt awkward...

-..asking friends and family

-for a place to stay.

-She says she missed college a lot...

-..because her books

-were all over the place.

-I didn't want people to know

-what was going on at home.

-I was scared to ask for help. I felt

-I was a burden on other people.

-But when the college found out,

-she was referred to GISDA...

-..a charity that offers

-accommodation and support...

-..for young homeless people

-in North West Wales.

-Sion Owen works for the charity.

-Nearly 250 young people have been

-referred to them this year.

-Most of the time, they've fallen out

-with their family...

-..and they've nowhere to go.

-There aren't many houses

-for unemployed young people.

-They have to turn to friends

-or their family.

-Only a handful of those referred

-to the charity come off the street.

-Many more are sofa surfers.

-Although they have a roof

-over their heads...

-..they don't have a permanent home.

-You don't have a fixed address.

-That's the biggest thing.

-It's hard to receive benefits

-without a fixed address.

-It's hard to keep up

-with appointments.

-They don't have an address

-for job application purposes.

-There are so many problems.

-After the break,

-as night draws on...

-..there are drunk people

-on the streets of Cardiff.

-Some of them were quite threatening

-so that's been a bit uncomfortable.

-If I was here on my own,

-I think I'd be a bit frightened.

-What do you do when you're

-approached by drunken men like that?

-I will also return to Bangor

-to see how Neil's getting on.

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-Over the last few weeks, I've been

-travelling around Wales...

-..to find out more

-about homelessness.

-In Cardiff, I slept rough to see how

-it feels to be out on the streets.

-It's now 3.00am.

-We've been here for about two hours.

-Yeah. It's starting to get cold now.

-My feet are getting really cold.

-There have been

-lots of people around.

-Not many people stop

-or even look at us.

-They just walk past.

-Thank you for stopping.

-We're not homeless.

-A few people

-offered us money or food.

-You can have it if you want.

-You can have it if you want.

-

-No, take it. We're fine, you know.

-We've already eaten

-but thank you so much.

-I decided I was going to give it

-to the first homeless person I saw.

-I'm going to leave it for you

-anyway.

-No, take it. Take it.

-Thank you.

-It's 4.00am. Since last time, a lot

-of drunk people have come up to us.

-Some of them were quite threatening

-so that's been a bit uncomfortable.

-If I was here on my own,

-I think I'd be a bit frightened.

-What do you do when you're

-approached by drunken men like that?

-That wasn't very nice.

-In Bangor, I met Neil.

-He said he'd been homeless

-for three years.

-I've returned to Bangor

-to see how he's been...

-..especially

-in the recent bad weather.

-I saw you about three weeks ago.

-Where are we now?

-The same place. In Morrisons.

-What have you been doing?

-Same thing more or less.

-On the street.

-I'm under a shelter here

-and there's a shelter over there.

-Are you still sleeping

-in the same place?

-Yes?

-What have you been doing

-in this wet weather?

-You just stick it out.

-You're used to it.

-He does a bit of gardening

-in the summer...

-..but says it's more difficult

-to find work in winter.

-Sit around.

-There's nothing to do, is there?

-Check on computers

-if there are any jobs going.

-Are there any?

-No.

-What will you do on Christmas Day?

-What am I going to do

-on Christmas Day?

-I don't know.

-Maybe I'll go to a mate's house.

-You haven't thought about it yet.

-You haven't thought about it yet.

-

-No.

-The next stop was Aberystwyth.

-I met one person who found himself

-homeless three years ago.

-Luke Eira is 21 years old.

-Hi, are you OK?

-I'm fine. Come in.

-I'm fine. Come in.

-

-Thank you.

-I had to leave my mother's house.

-I was placed in a small room...

-..a room for homeless people.

-It was the type of place where if

-you didn't have problems going in...

-..you probably would going out.

-He felt lonely in the room.

-He suffered from depression

-for a while.

-As a result, he moved to Ty Curig...

-..which offers support

-for young homeless people.

-When I first got to Ty Curig,

-I didn't have a good feeling.

-I felt quite apprehensive.

-I was quite down at the time.

-But they helped me a lot

-and gave me support.

-They've helped me with my life.

-Luke's situation improved

-with the support of Ty Curig.

-Over a year ago, he moved on

-to live in an independent flat...

-..linked to the project.

-There's everything you need

-in the flat.

-There's a bedroom.

-I have my own bathroom.

-I have my own kitchen.

-Everything.

-He's started working

-as a night porter...

-..and he also has his own

-graphic design company.

-Luke says the experience

-of being homeless...

-..forced him to mature more quickly.

-I am much more confident.

-I'm doing what I want to do

-with my life.

-Before, I'd never had to deal

-with anything difficult.

-Because of that, it was tougher.

-This experience has toughened me up.

-I think that's a good thing.

-In Caernarfon, GISDA

-offers a similar service...

-..for young people

-between 14 and 25 years of age.

-There's a lot of help available.

-They'll help with basics such as

-budgeting, day to day life.

-They organize activities

-like cooking sessions...

-..which will help you to move on

-to live in your own place.

-Imogen feels a lot more confident

-since coming to live at the hostel.

-She's learning to live

-independently...

-..although it's hard

-to do everything.

-I'm trying to get a place of my own

-and trying to do well in college.

-I'm more confident

-now that I'm here...

-..because they try to help you

-be a better person.

-Imogen doesn't fit the image

-of a homeless person.

-But she's one of a growing number

-of the hidden homeless...

-..who've had to sleep

-on friends' sofas.

-People think that homeless people

-sleep in doorways and on the street.

-But it's the same when

-you're living on someone's sofa.

-You can't tell by looking at someone

-that they're a sofa surfer.

-In Bangor, Neil has been living

-on the streets for three years.

-What are your hopes for the future?

-I don't know.

-I just hope something will happen.

-I'll bump into someone.

-Would you like to go back to work?

-Would you like to go back to work?

-

-Yes, yes.

-From one day to the next...

-..Neil doesn't know

-where his next meal will come from.

-And he doesn't know

-where he'll sleep.

-Where do you think

-you'll sleep tonight?

-No idea. I haven't a clue.

-I haven't a clue.

-Does that happen every night?

-Does that happen every night?

-

-Yes.

-Back in Cardiff, there are signs

-that it's nearly morning.

-It's now 5.00am. My feet are cold

-and it's six degrees Celsius.

-I can't imagine how it would be if

-it was freezing. It's already cold.

-I don't know how they do it,

-sleeping out like this every night.

-I haven't slept a wink.

-At 5.30am, the restaurant owners

-arrive to start preparing breakfast.

-We're told to move on.

-It's now 6.00am.

-I feel quite tired and I'm cold.

-But who am I to complain?

-I've only slept rough for one night.

-I think about all the homeless

-people I've met who sleep rough.

-This is their reality every night.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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