A former registered nurse has become homeless and is now living in a tent after the local council declined to provide emergency accommodation.
The woman, who has a documented history of borderline personality disorder and other mental health challenges, says she does not meet the criteria for hospital admission despite ongoing crises. She also reports that the hospital discharged her knowing she was homeless.
She left her family home in Glossop at the start of the month and spent time in hostels in Manchester and Cornwall before returning. Now she receives the lowest level of Universal Credit and expects a modest increase next month.
On June 9 she submitted a homelessness application, but the council issued a “not in priority need” decision, stating she was not deemed vulnerable under its definition. The council offered to refer her to a housing association for future placement but did not provide immediate shelter.
Instead, council workers delivered a tent, a sleeping bag, and food vouchers to a car park near a retail store. She says she cannot prepare many of the supplied foods due to a lack of cooking equipment and has been sleeping in her car for several days.
She criticises both the NHS and local authorities, describing the situation as a complete failure of support for someone experiencing a mental health crisis. The council’s homelessness team continues to monitor her welfare while she remains in the tent.
