Wisbech father opens up on 'devastating' homeless life
Figures show rough sleeping has hit record levels nationally
A father from Wisbech who's been living rough for more than two years says life on the streets is "devastating".
We've found since 2020, Fenland had the second highest number of young people in the county who have either been homeless or asked the local council for housing advice.
Paddy was made homeless after leaving his partner and struggling to pay rent.
"It's devastating; everybody deserves that second chance to say 'I'm here, I want to be counted' and some people just don't get that chance," he said.
"I'm just waiting for mine."
In the last six years, our research has found nearly 20,000 people aged 16 to 30 in Cambridgeshire were homeless or asked their nearest council for tips on finding accommodation.
'Nice, warm meal' highlight of Paddy's day
Paddy uses the Feed Fenland charity in Wisbech, which provides hot meals to homeless people and rough sleepers six nights a week, without being means-tested.
"If I didn't have this, I don't think I'd be here by now; a nice, warm meal inside you is something to look forward to each day," he said.
Asked where he would usually go after receiving a hot meal, Paddy said he would tend to find "somewhere dry", such as open doorways.
But he feels the issue of homelessness isn't getting properly addressed.
"You tend to sit in there; nine times out of 10, most people that live in the flats are okay, as long as you don't leave a mess behind," he said.
"It's the cold, the wet, (having) constantly wet feet, your feet are always sore and it's everything else that goes with it; it doesn't get any better."
Official homelessness figures show the number of households in temporary accommodation in rural areas hit an all-time high in March of 22,230, an increase of nearly 80% in the last six years.
Rough sleeping rates in rural areas have also hit record levels, with 1,821 people found sleeping rough in autumn 2025.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced funding of £442 million for new accommodation and support in a bid to end rough sleeping across England this winter.