In towns and cities across the UK, homelessness is becoming increasingly visible. Newport is no different. And while accurate national and local figures are notoriously difficult to come by, there is a perception which is backed up by some of the data, that homelessness is growing.

Argus reporter CHRIS BINDING investigates, in a series of special reports this week.

IT TOOK only five minutes of walking down Newport High Street in broad daylight to find someone slumped in a doorway surrounded by bags containing all his worldly goods.

Dressed in a worn hooded top and obviously exhausted, Ross Dewi Edwards said he had been sleeping rough on and off for around four years, spending time in Blaenau Gwent, Swansea and now Newport.

The 24-year-old said he has been “in and out of custody for petty shop-lifting”, a device he admits to using in order to go to jail to get a roof over his head.

South Wales Argus: Homeless in city tell of their fears

It is difficult to get exact figures for the number of homeless people in Newport and/or the rest of Wales.

In fact, while homelessness is often used as a catch-all term, it masks the reality that many of those seen on the streets in our towns and cities are actually deemed ‘rough sleepers’ by the agencies working in the field.

There are also some who are begging and/or drinking on the street who are not homeless or rough sleepers at all.

And there is anecdotal evidence that these beggars make Newport city centre visitors feel uncomfortable, something which has prompted a move by businesses to encourage people not to give beggars money, but instead to donate that money to charities helping genuinely homeless people in what is termed a ‘diverted giving’ campaign.

But, that said, there are also those who are genuinely homeless and who find themselves living on the streets through no fault of their own. There are also many who do not appear in any statistics at all, the so-called hidden homeless, because they do everything they can to avoid ending up on the streets, relying on friends and family for temporary accommodation.

South Wales Argus:

The Wallich, a charity which operates in Newport, releases data which shows around 124- 140 people using its services every quarter and the trend is rising.

In the three months to June 2017 there was a 93 per cent increase in service users compared to the same three months the previous year.

The most recent figures, which cover the three months to September, showed an increase of 19 per cent on the same three months in the previous year to 130.

The majority of service users are, like Ross, male and most of them are vulnerable, sometimes to being insulted, or worse.

“On the weekends it’s very hard to go to sleep,” said Ross.

“I woke up one Saturday night and someone was trying to urinate on me.

“I’m actually frightened of sleeping in doorways in case that happens again, or worse.”

South Wales Argus:

He is planning to start using a night shelter provided by charity Eden Gate, which is one of several organisations providing support services in Newport.

The charity offers drop-in sessions five times a week, catering for people who are vulnerable or on a low income – not just homeless.

During the winter, Eden Gate’s Night Shelter provides over-18s with support, a bed, an evening meal and breakfast. This year, the scheme will start in November.

Eden Gate’s operations manager, Marc Hepton, said: “It’s not just about helping people into accommodation, it’s about helping people with their real problems such as drug addiction. If those problems aren’t dealt with, then they face difficulties in maintaining accommodation.”

He added: “The charity aims to see people make positive changes in their life and maintains strong links with local services to help achieve positive outcomes for guests using the service.”

Prisoners are no longer given priority for housing following a recent change to the system, so for Ross being an ex-prisoner is, he says, another barrier.

But the reasons behind homelessness are myriad. Relationship breakdown, job loss and sanction of benefits or simply a shortage of housing can all play their part.

South Wales Argus: Nathan Emms,29, Stow Hill. On street for about 6 months

REALITY: Nathan Emms, 29, has been on the street for about 6 months

For Nathan Emms, who was on his way to Eden Gate for a shower when we talked, it was illness which led to him being on the streets.

The 29-year-old says he has been on the streets for six months after falling ill with epilepsy leaving him unable to pay his bills.

He is currently spending his nights in a tent in the Shaftesbury area of the city.

Like Ross he says the weekends are the worst times.

“People treat you differently at the weekends,” he said.

He has been applying for housing since last November but says he has made no progress.

“I am on all the housing lists and it seems to get nowhere,” he said.

“They tell you to bid but one day you could be number six and the following day you slip back down to 13. I don’t see how that works.”

“People who have already got houses, if they bid on the house they seem to get in before the homeless person. We’re homeless and trying to do the best we can.”

Not everyone who finds themselves homeless ends up on the streets. Many young people and vulnerable women will in fact do everything they can to avoid the danger of sleeping on the streets.

Peter Harris has never had to sleep rough but has spent more than a year in and out of different hostels or council-funded temporary accommodation.

And while prison leavers can sometimes find it difficult to find homes on release, Peter is an example of another group which is vulnerable to homelessness. He is a care leaver.

The 18-year-old entered the hostel system in Lancashire and then in Wales where a dispute left him without a secure home again.

And he says he suffers from extreme loneliness and finds it difficult to reach out and make friends.

After sofa surfing he was housed in temporary accommodation in Abertillery and then spent time in several hostels in Newport.

He is now staying in a city hostel where he could be for two years. And he is hopeful that something will come out of it.

“In the long run I want my own flat and somewhere to call my own home but for now I have a roof over my head and there are a lot of people around at the moment that don’t have that.”

Newport AM Jayne Bryant said recent research shows a general trend in increase in rough sleeping and homelessness.

“Although statistics are not conclusive, I have personally seen a definite perception of an increase, not just in Newport but in cities across the UK.

“This has been raised with me by constituents and it is clearly something that is concerning a lot of people in Newport.”

Ms Bryant paid credit to the city council and the charities and organisations in Newport who are working to deal with those who find themselves homeless.

“Although all of these things make a great difference it’s not the solution. It’s crucial that we address the causes of homelessness,” she said.

Tomorrow we look at the work being done by Newport City Council and other organisations in the city working to tackle what is a complex issue and we speak to some of those who have come through homelessness, thanks to their support.

South Wales Argus: A Rough Sleeper in Newport City Centre on October 7

HOMELESS:

People applying to local authorities for housing assistance under the Housing Act (Wales) 2014 because they’re homeless or threatened with homelessness. Could be staying in hostels, squats, refuges B&Bs, temporarily with friends and family, often staying in several places a week.

ROUGH SLEEPERS:

People with no permanent residence, often not registered with local authorities and are harder to monitor and record. Often found staying in doorways, parks, bus shelters, under bridges, in disused buildings or car parks.