Hayden Patterson and his five dogs finally find a home in Murray Bridge

It’s been seven years since Hayden Patterson had a home and now with years on his feet in the streets, he can finally lay down safe in a place to call his own.

DECEMBER 27, 2024: Homeless man Hayden Patterson at a house he is helping demolish. He has finally found a place in Murray Bridge, with his five dogs. He will move on December 30.Picture: Brenton Edwards

Hayden Patterson is upbeat, his dogs are relaxed and playful, and all six of them are about to be on the move.

After seven years, Mr Patterson, 49, and his five dogs are finally getting their own place.

“I can’t really believe it,” he said.

Mr Patterson has taken up an offer from the SA Housing Trust to move into a three-bedroom house with a back yard near the river at Murray Bridge.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t believe it yet. I won’t have to be constantly worried about every situation and about how my dogs will react to where I take them.”

When the Advertiser first met a then tired and teary Mr Patterson in late October as he was moving out a share house that was getting demolished, he said he feared his homelessness would cut his life short.

Hayden Patterson is nervous but mostly excited about his move to his own place in Murray Bridge. Pic: Brenton Edwards

Along with bipolar 1, he also has epilepsy and is HIV positive.

He was unable to find a rental or a share-house.

He had a car to live in, but then he crashed it.

After crashing his car, Mr Patterson said he spent his daylight hours in a dark storage room at Kennards Self Storage in Thebarton with no electricity.

The facility closed at 6pm with Mr Patterson and his dogs forced to roam the streets until it reopened at 7am.

He said that Kennards evetually told him that he could not stay for “extended hours” on the property, especially not with what were then eight dogs (one dog had three puppies which have since been sold).

“Since then I’ve been staying in parks (in a tent). I stay awake all night and sleep during the day when its safer,” he said.

This has led to Mr Patterson being sleep-deprived since he moved out of Kennards earlier this month.

A happy man makes for happy dogs 30.Picture: Brenton Edwards

“The main thing about sleeping in a tent is that it’s very hot. I wake up sweating, the shade moves around and you feel these hot breezes come right through your bed,” he said.

Now he will have a three- bedroom house, a yard and the Murray River nearby.

He said he was looking forward to some rest and getting long-awaited dental work.

“I mean look at me, I look like a homeless person,” Mr Patterson joked.

“I am a bit worried about taking on the responsibility for this house – I guess I’m mostly excited though. I have been walking around with a smile on my face.”

A long-time volunteer with the South Australian Council of Social Services, he said there might be a bit of a vacuum in his life after spending so long “running on adrenaline finding somewhere to live.”

He said he hoped to find some social welfare agencies in Murray Bridge where he could use his knowledge and experience to help others.

Originally published as Hayden Patterson and his five dogs finally find a home in Murray Bridge