Features / homelessness
‘It’s soul crushing’ – the stark reality of life on the streets
Daniel carefully hands a small plate of steaming hot chicken to his partner, Katrina, who is bundled up in a duvet on the freezing concrete floor.
“It’s just nice to have some hot food,” she says, gratefully biting into the meat as the couple’s two dogs, Biscuit and Sophie, watch hopefully on.
Towels hang over the railings and bags of supplies, dog food, flasks and extra bedding are neatly piled against the wall, while a small portable barbecue lets out heat on the concrete nearby.
is needed now More than ever
This spot at the top of the stairs, around the corner from Primark, has for the past few days been home to the couple, who have been forced onto the streets despite Katrina’s two-year battle to get a home.
Dan Stevens and Katrina Brown have had to rely on the kindness of strangers in order to survive and have received donations of bedding from staff at the nearby store, as well as a flask for hot water, dog food, a portable barbecue, a battery charger and more.
They say they are being failed by the council and are caught in a vicious cycle whereby the items they have been given enable them to survive on the streets in the depths of winter, but also make it impossible for them to access emergency accommodation because they can’t take all of their belongings.
“It’s soul crushing,” says Dan about life on the streets.
“When we first came out here, Katrina was ready to burst into tears all the time. It is a very sharp wake up call and you never sleep very well.
“I’ve been called a homeless tramp and a scrounger.”
Dan and Katrina say they are being let down by Bristol City Council as they are caught in a vicious cycle of trying to survive on the streets – photo: Simon Holliday
The couple, who had been sleeping in the Bearpit before their tent was destroyed in bad weather, say the physical and psychological toll is immense.
Dan says people experiencing homelessness all get tarred with the same brush, but those who have crossed paths with the couple have gone out of their way to try to make their harsh situation slightly more bearable.
Katrina, who has lived in Bristol all her life, has multiple sclerosis and diabetes – meaning she needs to use injections every day. This is incredibly difficult to manage while sleeping on the streets and she says it “plays havoc” with her health. She also recently had an operation on her neck and was advised to rest up in bed afterwards.
Living and sleeping on the freezing concrete floor is taking its toll on Katrina’s health and a couple of days after speaking to Bristol24/7, she was admitted to hospital.
Bristol City Council at this point offered Katrina temporary accommodation by herself, but it doesn’t allow dogs so she had to turn it down and has now returned to the cold ground by Primark that acts as ‘home’ for now.
“I’ve been homeless for two years, since my mum died,” Katrina tells Bristol24/7.
“I was sofa surfing and stayed with my sister but had to leave because we had a family dispute.”
Katrina has been on the housing list, Homechoice, for two years but says the system has been riddled with issues and barriers.
Firstly, she had problems getting them to accept her on the register because there was a question raised about whether she would receive inheritance from her mum so Katrina had to send legal documents to prove she wasn’t getting anything.
She had been told over the phone that Dan’s name was added to her housing list. But when Katrina was made homeless, the couple went to the council’s offices together to be told his name wasn’t on there.
The couple have now been told a joint benefit claim has to be made in order for them to have both of their names on the housing register.
Katrina has a lawyer, paid for with legal aid, acting on her behalf but says she is still getting no answers, has had paperwork lost and is unable to get hold of her housing officer.
“We’re surviving,” says Katrina.
“We don’t beg for anything, people stop by and say ‘do you want anything?’ We’ve been using the cafes and they’ve been brilliant, filling up our flask with hot water.” But she says a home where she could be safe with Dan and the dogs would mean everything to her.
Dan and Katrina were sleeping in a tent in the Bearpit but their tent was destroyed in bad weather – photo: Martin Booth
Bristol City Council said it couldn’t comment on individual cases.
A spokesperson said: “Where someone is made homeless and in need of housing support, we do what we can to ensure emergency accommodation is provided to those eligible, giving them somewhere to stay while we work with them to find a more permanent solution.
“With over 21,000 households on the housing register and almost 1,500 in temporary accommodation, tackling the housing crisis remains a huge task. The administration is making every effort to alleviate this by building homes and making sure affordable and social housing is included in these developments.
“Since 2016, 12,534 new homes have been built. In 2021/22, Bristol built 2,563 new homes including almost 500 affordable homes, the most in more than a decade.”
Main photo: Ellie Pipe
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