Homeless Houghton Regis couple forced to sleep in car for two months

A homeless couple in Houghton Regis have spoken of their upset after being forced to live in their car for the past two months.

Kirsty Wood and Shaun Burden became homeless three months ago. Without alternative housing, the pair were left to sleep in their Corsa.

Kirsty, 31, said: "We park up anywhere with space to sleep and then the next morning, we just drive around. It’s all costing money.”

The pair say hotel or hostel accommodation is unsuitable for them, and they want to be given somewhere more permanent to stay by the council. Kirsty explained: "We don’t want to be on the streets for much longer, it’s getting cold now and we are both getting ill from sleeping rough. We’re just not coping at the moment.”

"We’ve only got a little Corsa, we’ve got a backache and stuff like that.”

Without a fixed address, the pair have been unable to find work, and Kirsty claimed Central Bedfordshire Council had been “ignoring” the couple’s plight.

But a Central Bedfordshire Council spokesperson said: “We have now been able to make contact, and have collected the information we need to support these residents. Our homelessness intervention team are working with the couple to identify a solution to their current situation.”

The council’s spokesperson continued: “If anyone in Central Bedfordshire thinks they are at risk of becoming homeless, please contact us as soon as possible in order that we can provide assistance by visiting this page or calling 0300 300 4370.”