By Emma Keelan

My name is Emma Keelan. A former veteran who served two tours of Kosovo.

I run my own business as a dog walker, fiercely independent, and until recently, I never imagined I’d be homeless in my own country.

Yet here I am, living in a hotel room paid for by Help For Homeless Veterans UK, after months of sleeping in a tent.

Not because I made bad choices or failed to work hard - far from it.

I did everything right. I followed all the rules, paid my rent, and when my landlord sold the house, I complied with every section 21 eviction notice, every letter of the law.

What makes me most angry is the way the system seems to punish people like me - people who work, who contribute, who just want a safe place to sleep at night.

If I was on benefits, if I was deemed “vulnerable” by the council, maybe I’d be at the top of the list.

But I’m not. I work. I provide a needed service. And for that, I’m penalised.........

© LBC