From homeless to helping to transform housing policy

Mark Eaton-Lees graduated with first-class honours from Swansea University

A man who slept in his car for 40 nights has graduated with first-class honours from Swansea University.

Mark Eaton-Lees, from Wolverhampton, left his job to pursue his dream in Devon. He found room to rent but when he arrived it was no longer available.

After sleeping in his car, Mark began working as a long-distance courier driver, where he met a homeless man and decided he wanted to make a change.

He has since volunteered with Shelter Cymru, Llamau, Crisis, and Expert Link - supporting helplines, advising boards, and preparing meals for those in need.

The former recruitment worker left his job to pursue his dream of launching a scuba diving centre.

After discovering the room he was due to rent was no longer available, he was left with no alternative accommodation and limited savings, and all that remained was his car.

"I found a free restaurant car park in Exeter, bought a pillow and a duvet, and slept in my Volkswagen Polo," Mark said.

Embarrassed and afraid of being discovered, Mark would wake up at 06:00 BST and would not return until late in the evening.

Without access to clean clothes or facilities, applying for office jobs was impossible.

Instead, Mark began searching for work as a HGV driver, hoping to sleep in the truck but his health deteriorated.

"There was a night when I struggled to wake up, and when I did, I had huge brain fog. I'm pretty sure these were early signs of hypothermia," he said.

"It was scary, but I knew then that I couldn't go on as I was."

'Conversation changed me'

With his family's support, Mark moved back to Wolverhampton in early 2015 and began working as a long-distance courier driver.

While delivering he met a young homeless man who "looked so cold and frightened" and had no money.

"All he wanted was some stability - a job and a place to live," Mark said.

"That conversation changed me. Rebuilding my own life wasn't enough. I wanted to be part of the solution."

Determined to gain a deeper understanding of homelessness, Mark completed a foundation course and, in 2022, began a degree in criminology and social policy at Swansea University.

"It's helped me explore issues like the Vagrancy Act and how homelessness is criminalised. I've realised how interconnected social policy and homelessness are."

Through a lecturer's introduction, Mark began volunteering with Shelter Cymru, and later with Llamau, Crisis, and Expert Link.

He is also working with the Bevan Foundation to research the impact of temporary accommodation on children in Wales.

"Wales is leading the way with preventative approaches like Upstream Cymru, which focuses on school-based early intervention," he said.

"And, if passed, the proposed Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill could be a game changer. There's still a lot to be done, but it's a promising step forward."

Mark will head to the University of Sheffield to pursue a masters in social research, exploring the connections between autism and homelessness - an area he said remained largely overlooked.

His experience of homelessness now fuels his studies - and his determination to make sure others do not face the same struggles.

"It might sound strange, but I'm glad I went through it. That experience shaped who I am."