On the streets of Preston as homelessness grips the city worse than anywhere in Lancashire
On a cold weekday in Preston, Mark is sitting outside the former BHS store on Fishergate. He is one of a few people who have made a temporary home on mattresses, blankets and even cardboard boxes along the high street.
He said: “It’s not easy being on the street. I know people look and judge but it’s not easy.” Mark lives with chronic pain and the cold nights on the street only make this worse. "People have been fair to me," he said. "People have been very generous. It's not easy being on the street. Some people are embarrassed and ashamed. I'm ashamed to be here. I need to get my life back together."
During the height of the covid pandemic, government funding enabled more solutions to help take people like Mark off the streets and into temporary accommodation. Long term solutions remain more difficult though, with newly released statistics showing a sharp increase in the number of rough sleepers across the country.
He said: “The rough sleeping figures released by the government today paint a very sad picture for the entire country and in particular Preston. No one should be sleeping on the streets. The fact this count shows more than double the number of people sleeping rough on one night in Preston, compared to the previous year, is a stark warning that more needs to be done.
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