Remarkable turnaround for man who lived in woods for a year: ‘I thought I was going to be there forever’
Andre Hopkins was kicked out of his home of 15 years when his landlord decided to sell and sought shelter in the woods. But now he has his own home again through the help of homelessness charity The Wallich
Andre Hopkins, 46, from Carmarthenshire in Wales, spent nearly a year living in a makeshift log shelter he built himself in woodland in Neath Port Talbot following a no-fault eviction when his landlord decided to sell his home of 15 years.
Hopkins was given six months’ notice of his eviction – as is standard in Wales – but wasn’t able to find somewhere else to live other than among the trees.
The makeshift shelter in the woods where Andre Hopkins lived for nearly a year. Image: The Wallich
He moved into Ty Raena in Port Talbot – a 12-bed supported accommodation project run by The Wallich – and has spent 18 months getting back on his feet.
He recently moved into a permanent one-bedroom flat with the help of the Welsh homelessness charity and is even volunteering at his local food bank, completing a remarkable turnaround.
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“I thought I was going to be in the woods forever, thinking how did my life come to this?” said Hopkins.
“Living in the woods was alright in the summer, but winter was tough. The day The Wallich got in touch, I was at breaking point and on the verge of giving up. I had a big beard like Grizzly Adams! It had been a hard 18 months from losing my home to knocking on doors for help. They really are lifesavers.”
No-fault evictions allow a landlord to evict a tenant without giving a reason and are considered a leading driver of homelessness, as Hopkins found out in Wales.
They remain in operation in Wales but have a longer notice period of six months.
The Welsh government is currently bringing the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill through the Senedd in a bid to bring in radical changes to prevent people falling into homelessness in the first place.
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Andre Hopkins in his kitchen with support worker Nicola Davies. Image: The Wallich
Hopkins found out just how tough life can be without a stable home but is grateful to The Wallich for helping him into a new home of his own.
“Since I lived in the woods, I’ve come out a better person. I appreciate everything so much more, like running water. We take too much for granted,” said Hopkins.
“Everything is falling into place nicely now and I’m settling in. I’ve also started volunteering at the local foodbank. It’s nice to give something back, especially since I’ve used services myself. It’s a good way to meet the community too.
“The Wallich are worth their weight in gold – I’m genuinely grateful for them.”
The Welsh government is moving towards prevention in a bid to reduce the number of people living in temporary accommodation, many of whom have been evicted from their rented home.
The most recent official statistics show that there were 10,933 individuals living in temporary accommodation in Wales as of June this year.
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The Wallich is Wales’s largest homelessness and rough sleeping charity. It works with more than 7,000 people every year across Wales, running more than 100 projects in 20 local authorities.
Andre Hopkins lived in supported accommodation with The Wallich for 18 months before getting his own permanent home. Image: The Wallich
Sian Aldridge, director of operations at The Wallich, said: “Andre’s story shows how quickly someone’s life can be turned upside down through no fault of their own.
“With affordable housing in short supply, prevention and long-term support have never been more important.
“Services, such as The Wallich’s Prevention and Wellbeing Service and supported accommodation, play a crucial role in helping people move into settled homes and avoid returning to homelessness.”
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