00:00Walking along Tonbridge High Street, you never know what people's circumstances are.
00:05Many will go back to a bed, but for some, this isn't the case.
00:09Recent Kent County Council figures show the estimated number of people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn was
00:17163.
00:19And down an alley in Tonbridge, one charity is working to change that.
00:23Our properties are about supporting people to, I suppose, grow in themselves and feel more confident to then be supported
00:30to move on to their own more permanent accommodation.
00:34This is Danny. He lives in one of the Portulite properties with his dog Honey.
00:39But not that long ago, he was sleeping rough.
00:42Living a stone's throw away from where he used to sleep, Danny often reflects on his experience.
00:47I didn't know what to do or where to go, so I found this hole and I started off living
00:53here.
00:53For the first four days, it was terrifying because I thought somebody was going to come and rescue me.
00:58I thought someone, you know, someone had come and saved me, but they didn't.
01:01Now, Danny has spent some time homeless, hopping from one place to another, even sleeping in this nook up here
01:06with his dog Honey on the exterior to Tonbridge Castle.
01:09And the message that Danny wants to give across is that homelessness does not discriminate.
01:13It can happen to anyone, anywhere.
01:15And while he was sleeping up here, he experienced a series of abuse, both verbal and inquisitive, because he's very
01:21much in the public eye.
01:23However, for some people, homelessness isn't as visible.
01:26There will be far more people who are what we call hidden homeless.
01:29So individuals who are sofa surfing, you know, sleeping at friends or relatives, but just on the sofa.
01:37And this is a struggle that Jane knows all too well.
01:41Jane had been homeless since she was 15 years old and spent a lot of time sleeping in toilets.
01:47She now works with Portlite, helping provide support to the homeless community.
01:52So I am a classic person.
01:54I put myself for university, homeless, and remained hidden.
02:00I managed to get into employment hidden.
02:03At no point did I ever disclose that I had nowhere to live, that I was literally, you know, that
02:13my rucksack that had my university stuff in also had my change of clothes.
02:21And it's only been really the last two, three years I've ever spoken about my homeless life in fear of
02:30judgment.
02:31For Danny and Jane, it's important to raise awareness of hidden homelessness to ensure there are enough resources for everyone.
02:39Nayla Mahamid for KMTV in Tonbridge.
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