People sleeping rough in Adelaide will be counted on Monday for the second annual Connections week

Today the number of people sleeping rough in the city will be counted. Among those doing the check will be Scott, who was once in their position but has turned his life around.

Scott, 46, was living homeless seven years ago. He has since found housing and is studying. Picture: Keryn Stevens

About seven years ago, Scott was living on Adelaide’s streets, using drugs and headed for jail.

Today, the 46-year-old will join 280 other volunteers conducting the second annual Connections Week to learn how many people are sleeping rough in the city.

Scott, who did not want to give his last name, spent five months sleeping rough and later couch surfing before ending up behind bars for seven months.

“My world as I knew it fell away, I didn’t know how to cope,” he recalled.

“I was a bit proud to ask for help. I sort of gave up.”

His turning point came when he was referred to a drug program by the courts and learned how to deal with the emotions behind his addiction.

Now Scott is living in private rental housing, studying and has a peer support worker role with Street to Home.

From today until Thursday, he will take part in Connections Week, which last year identified 143 people sleeping rough. Since then, the broader Adelaide Zero Project, which aims to end homelessness here by 2020, has helped 133 people find housing. However, 257 new people have joined the list of those who are homeless.

It is believed more than 160 people are currently sleeping rough in the Adelaide CBD and parklands, but this week’s count will confirm and update the By-Name list, which features each person’s name and personal details.

It will ask those sleeping rough how long they have done so, if they have mental health conditions or chronic diseases and how many have previously been homeless.

The project is run by the Don Dunstan Foundation.