Andy, I know that you regularly contacted Dave and offered him at least verbal support. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between genuine cases and others. The local authority once told us that all people on the the streets of Cheltenham had been offered accommodation but had refused in some cases because they made a lot of money begging or refused to give up drugs/drink. On the other hand I met a guy in Cheltenham hospital who was being treated for liver and kidney damage due to drinking and had been told if he went back to this, he would not survive next time. I asked him how all this had happened. He explained that he had left school with no qualifications to work in the building industry but when he was 30 suffered from a serious Hiatus Hernia though heavy lifting and, after being repaired, was told he could only do office work from now on. So it was easy to understand how he ended up unemployed and on the street. I asked if he had any relatives locally. Yes, he had a married sister living with her husband and children but although they had offered him a home, he knew it could wreck their world and was not willing to do that. Once he left the hospital, they would book him into a hostel and provide a taxi to get him there but realistically he would be back on the streets in a short time. It all seemed very sad and frustrating that we could do nothing to help.
Dave
