In 2012, Alan lost a baby at birth and separated from his then-partner, which he said left him “bereft and everything fell apart”, turning to heroin to ease the pain.<\/p>\n
“I started taking drugs and ruined every friendship I had, completely burned every bridge, just destroyed my life,” said the trained horticulturist.<\/p>\n
He met his wife, Hannah, some years later, and both decided they would get clean for each other to build a future.<\/p>\n
This rehabilitation process took about two years and included monthly subutex injections as medication-assisted treatment.<\/p>\n
They settled in their home city of Derby having been rejected by the other councils they approached.<\/p>\n
“All they would ever do is say, ‘we’ve got no duty of care, you’ve got to go back to Derby’. So, Derby it is,” said Alan.<\/p>\n
The couple tried the city’s recommended homeless hostels, but found them to be “a reminder of their past lives” where active drug users appeared to be making little progress.<\/p>\n
“I ended up having a severe breakdown due to the people that were living there and my past catching up with me,” said Hannah.<\/p>\n
Derby Homes said there was a range of accommodation and support options available to people like the couple.<\/p>\n
“We recognise that a hostel environment may not suit everyone, and we continue to work with partners to provide safe and appropriate alternatives,” a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
In November 2025, the pair found their own alternative – deciding to camp in Derby.<\/p>\n