'I served two tours. I work every day but now I'm homeless': Veteran's battle with Britain's broken housing system

I run my own business as a dog walker, fiercely independent, and until recently, I never imagined I’d be homeless in my own country.

Yet here I am, living in a hotel room paid for by Help For Homeless Veterans UK, after months of sleeping in a tent.

Not because I made bad choices or failed to work hard - far from it.

I did everything right. I followed all the rules, paid my rent, and when my landlord sold the house, I complied with every section 21 eviction notice, every letter of the law.

What makes me most angry is the way the system seems to punish people like me - people who work, who contribute, who just want a safe place to sleep at night.

If I was on benefits, if I was deemed “vulnerable” by the council, maybe I’d be at the top of the list.

But I’m not. I work. I provide a needed service. And for that, I’m penalised.

I can’t even get onto the social housing list. It’s as if the normal worker, the low-income person, is invisible.

The bureaucracy is overwhelming.

Every form takes nearly an hour to fill out. And when you’re self-employed, every hour not working is money lost.

I had to redo my entire social housing application because my address changed when I became homeless.

It’s endless paperwork, endless hoops to jump through, and it feels like the system is designed to make you give up.

I’ve been told there are 28,000 people on the social housing list in Cornwall and 18,000 of us in my position - working, single, not “vulnerable enough” - all fighting for the same few homes.

It’s humiliating to have to ask for help, to turn to charities because the government won’t step in. I’ve always done things on my own.

I raised two children by myself. I’ve never asked for anything. Now, I’m begging for a safe place to sleep, relying on Veterans UK and other organisations, not the people who should be looking after citizens in need.

The housing crisis here isn’t just about a lack of properties.

It’s about second homes and holiday lets - houses that should be for locals, snapped up by outsiders and rented out at prices none of us can afford.

I’ve posted on social media, asked everyone I know, but every time a place comes up, it’s gone in an instant. And with a dog - essential for my business - I’m even less likely to be accepted.

My hotel room is only booked for a few days. Then I'm dog sitting so I have a bed for two weeks.

After that, I could be back on the street, or sleeping in my car.

This isn’t where I expected to be in life.

I’m angry, I’m exhausted, and I feel let down by a system that’s supposed to support people like me.

I’ve done everything right. Why am I being punished for it?

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A spokesperson for Cornwall Council told LBC: "We sympathise with residents who are finding it difficult to find somewhere settled to live.

"Cornwall continues to experience significant pressures on housing - there are currently around 850 households living in temporary accommodation and more than 25,000 households on the council’s social housing register Homechoice.

"While we are unable to comment on individual circumstances, in situations such as these our Housing Options caseworkers will work with residents to find suitable accommodation through the private sector, including support with financial costs such as deposits and rent in advance."