From sleeping rough to podcast star: Josh’s Story

To mark World Homeless Day 2025, our customer Josh shares his journey from sleeping rough behind a bin to becoming a successful podcaster.

Josh, 32, grew up in Croydon, South London, the youngest of three boys. He describes his childhood as happy:

“I was brought up in a normal household. I had a mother and a father, and things were great.”

But, during his teenage years, cracks began to show in his parents’ marriage, and Josh fell in with a bad crowd and started dabbling with drugs.

“I think it got a little bit more difficult when I got older, kind of hanging around with the wrong people because things were going on at home.” When his dad left, life spiralled further out of control.

“It broke my mum, broke my family.”

Josh began “self-medicating” with drugs, moving from cannabis to cocaine. His mum, desperate to save him, tricked him into getting into the car one day and drove him straight to rehab.

“I got in the car and I remember I looked behind me in the boot and I had a suitcase and all my belongings. I’m like, ‘Where the heck are we going, mum?’”

The cycle of recovery and relapse

That trip began a long pattern of rehab, recovery and relapse. For a time, Josh found stability. He fell in love, became a dad, and was overjoyed at the birth of his son. But his old habits pulled him back. The relationship ended, leaving him devastated.

He returned to live with his mum, but his lies and broken promises pushed her to breaking point.

“I remember the day I went to my mum's house and there were two black bags outside. She locked the door and said, ‘You're not coming back in.’”

From there, Josh drifted between friends’ sofas, admitting he was untrustworthy and would steal if given the chance. Eventually, he ran out of options.

“I found myself sleeping rough behind a bin. I was stressed. I was angry at myself. I was angry at the world.”

Feeling he had nothing left to lose, he tried heroin for the first time.

Finding the right support

Even while homeless, Josh was in and out of rehab. But he now admits he wasn’t ready to accept help.

“I always ended up going back to Josh knows best. I don't need to talk to no one. I don't need to be around anyone that's in recovery. I can do it by myself and do it on my own strength. But the thing with an addict is, we can't.”

That changed when someone suggested a 12-step recovery programme combined with supported housing. Unlike standard rehab, it offered independence but with regular check-ins and accountability.

“He said, ‘I think it’ll be brilliant for you. Give it a try. What have you got to lose?’”

Josh gave it a chance. On his first day in his new home, he also went to his first 12-step meeting. Two and a half years later, he’s still clean.

“My life has changed dramatically. I could sit here for hours and tell you all the amazing things that have happened in my life.

“You're talking to a guy that was living behind a bin, that was homeless, to now getting a beautiful partner, a house and a full-time job. It’s absolutely amazing, and it just goes to show that anything's possible if you put your mind to it.”

Tackling debt and building a future

Addiction wasn’t the only hurdle Josh faced. Years of chaos had left a string of broken relationships in his wake. And he’d also built up £12,500 of debt he couldn’t repay. That’s where we stepped in. After reviewing his situation, we recommended a debt relief order (DRO).

Within two weeks, his application was complete. His debts were frozen for a year and then written off.

“When I saw the message saying it was all set up, it was just a sigh of relief. I thought, ‘This is it now, it’s sorted.’ It took me a couple of days to believe it.”

He acknowledges the DRO affected his credit score.

“Your credit rating does significantly. Even trying to get your basic mobile phone contract, nobody wants trust you with it. But that was okay. I accepted that and within a couple of months from coming out of the year process, I was actually accepted for a mobile phone contract. I was pretty stunned.

“And then after that I was able to get a mortgage. Never thought I would have been able to get that. Obviously, they wanted a little bit more deposit for me to put down for the house, just because my credit rating was a little bit too low. Again, that was okay. It was nice that they were still trusting me to have a mortgage.”

Today, Josh is debt-free, a homeowner and has launched his own podcast dealing with addiction – a project Money Wellness are proud to sponsor.

He’s also working on rebuilding broken relationships. One of the most emotional moments came when he reconciled with his mum.

They met in a church and lit a candle. Josh’s mum revealed she’d been praying and lighting candles for him all the time they were estranged. Seeing the dramatic change in him that day, she said, “Now I can say I've got my son back.” Josh admits that reduced him to tears.

One bad break is all it takes

Josh’s story shows how quickly life can unravel, and how, with the right support, it can be rebuilt.

Addiction is just one of many causes of homelessness. Reuben Phillips from the homelessness charity Emmaus explains:

“We’ve supported people who lost everything through eviction, domestic violence, even things like pest infestations that made their homes uninhabitable.”

The cost-of-living crisis has only made things worse. High rents, rising energy bills and soaring food prices are pushing many households to breaking point. Nearly half of our customers already struggle to cover essentials, and 21% come to us for help after losing a job or income.

High inflation, rising rents, spiralling energy bills and increasing food prices are pushing many households to breaking point. Nearly half of our customers can’t even cover the cost of essentials.

And even for those who are managing to get by, many can’t afford to put money aside for a rainy day. This means an unexpected event, such as losing your job, a rent hike or a broken boiler can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Tellingly, the trigger for 21% of the people approaching us for help is job loss or a drop in income.

“The stereotype is that homelessness is caused by bad choices or addiction,” Reuben adds. “But the truth is, it can happen to anyone. One bad break, a family tragedy, suddenly you’re on the edge.”

Homelessness takes many forms, from rough sleeping to sofa surfing, or being stuck in unsafe accommodation.

If you need support

If you’re experiencing homelessness or are at risk of losing your home, there are organisations that can help, including:

• Shelter
• Crisis
• Emmaus

And if debt is part of the picture, we can help you take control of your finances and start building towards a more secure future.