How I overcame homelessness to help others

A former rough sleeper who battled drug addiction and spent years without a permanent home is now helping other rough sleepers in west London.

Darren Skeete, 48, said he first tried drugs aged 12 and then his life spiralled into addiction to crack cocaine, cannabis and MDMA.

"I never got seen. Like, as much as I say I didn't want people to see me, you're a part of an unseen society," he said, adding: "It's just a cold world out there."

Now, he plans to study integrative counselling at university to help other rough sleepers and people with drug problems as part of his work as a peer worker with Kensington and Chelsea Council's Rough Sleeper Dual Diagnosis Service (RSDDS).

He told the LDRS he made money by "robbing, thieving, stealing, manipulating, lying and cheating" and delivering parcels around central London, a role which he says was dangerous, given his drug addiction.

He said he first experienced homelessness aged 16 after he fled turmoil and issues at home, spending four weeks living in a homeless hostel. He returned home until he was 18, when he was given a tenancy to a council flat.

"I had times where I slept on the street, I had times where I've slept in cars, times where I had to sleep in overnight hostels, times where I spent with women, times where I just used so much [drugs] that sleep wasn't even an option."

He was evicted from his social housing property in 2002, after failing to pay his bills due to his drug addiction and later served a four-year stint in prison for crimes related to drug use.

In 2023, he started working for the council's rough sleeper service where he helps people address mental health issues and substance misuse through therapy, rehab and additional ongoing support.

He recalled how he did not want people to find out he had a drug addiction when he first used the service.

"I didn't want people to find out. I didn't want to be looked down upon," he said.

He was able to focus on his recovery after joining RSDDS and has reignited a relationship with his four children, who tell him how "proud" they are of his recovery journey.

He is now on the waiting list for a home with a housing association and is planning his first family holiday to Malta, later this year.

The RSDDS has helped more than 40 people into rehab since it started in 2021, including 14 over the past year.

Skeete said he has turned his life around.

"My life was a mess, like a huge mess, you know. And today, I've got a relationship with my family, I've got my driver's licence back, I've got a car, a passport, and then I've booked my first holiday," he said.

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