Joe and Bongo swap tent for new home in Haverfordwest

Last Saturday the Western Telegraph visited Joe Roach and his beautiful little terrier Bongo as they struggled to come to terms with spending the long, hard winter whilst homeless and in a tent.

Joe had been told by the local authority that unless he was prepared to put Bongo permanently into a kennel, he would be ineligible for social housing.

Joe and Bongo when they were homeless (Image: Western Telegraph)

But having spent the past nine years with Bongo, Joe knew that this could never happen.  Bongo meant everything to him, and they could never be apart.

Fast forward seven days and the couple have been given keys to their new flat in the centre of Haverfordwest after a private landlord heard of their story and stepped forward to help.

They were invited to view the property, the landlord fell in love with the beautifully behaved dog and the rest is history.

"I can't believe we now have a home for Christmas," Joe told the Western Telegraph.

"It needs a little bit of a touch to make it ours but at the end of the day, it's ours and we're just so very happy to be off the streets."

Throughout their time sleeping rough, Joe and Bongo received a tremendous amount of support and avice from Amanda Evans who runs the registered charity Homeless Pembrokeshire.

This year, Amanda has witnessed a tremendous upsurge in the number of people who are arriving homeless throughout the county.

"We've currently got 20 rough sleepers who we are trying to support but the number is probably more," she explained.

"There is a very real shortage of accommodation throughout Pembrokeshire and with the changes that will be coming into force in December regarding landlords and their tenancy agreements, the problem looks set to get even worse as more and more landlords will either put ther properties on the market or raise the rent so the tenant won't be able to afford it."

Amand went on to say that the homeless population covers a wide cross-section of society.  Indeed Amanda herself found herself homeless for a short period following her marriage breakup.

"I suppose that because I've been through it myself, I know exactly what these people are going through," she continued.

"It can be a very frightening and lonely experience which is why Homeless Pembrokeshire is trying to do everything it can to support them in every possible way."

Each homeless person is given a pack comprising a tent, sleeping bag, pillow, rucksack, waterproofs, a first aid kit, torch, basic cooking utensils, stick-on heat patches, foil blankets, underwear, toiletries and a Greggs gift card.

"These people arrive with nothing," she continued. 

"But the support we're getting from the people of Pembrokeshire is absolutely tremendous, just as we've seen this week with the landlord who invited Joe to view his flat. 

"Homeless Pembroekshire couldn't do it without the help we're getting from so many groups, organisations and individuals."