An Army veteran, Blair Murray, 44, spent 15 weeks camping in woodland near Crook, County Durham, while his social housing application was being processed. Mr Murray, who served over a decade in the Royal Logistics Corps until 2010, was made homeless by a landlord last year.
Mr Murray stated that his lack of a home was delaying his ability to start a new job and attend counselling sessions. He expressed frustration with the housing process, noting he had worked with four different housing officers in three months and felt let down by missed meetings and unfulfilled phone calls.
Following contact from the BBC, Durham County Council's homeless prevention manager, Christopher Hepworth, confirmed that the authority had worked with the Armed Forces Outreach Service to book Mr Murray into a Travelodge. Mr Hepworth stated the council would continue to work with him to secure suitable, stable, long-term accommodation.
Ian Driver, who runs Veterans Response and provided Mr Murray with food parcels, described the situation as "just wrong." He noted that the experience had taken a toll on Mr Murray, who had become less positive.