This led to numerous convictions and, inevitably, a few scattered weeks in custody. At one point, Dana's life reached such a low that she enjoyed going to prison as it meant not being homeless.
Today, however, that low point seems far away. Clean from drink and drugs for two and a half years, 25-year-old Dana is the proud custodian of a one-bedroom flat in Worthing in West Sussex.
She attributes her turnaround to Rainer, the national charity for under-supported young people. "I was 23 when Rainer gave me a short-hold tenancy in one of their flats," she says. "Suddenly I realised I could change. The security of the flat, plus the support from my key worker Dan, convinced me I could become part of the community."
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