GERARD Forrestal is 34-years-old.

A father-of-two, he shares care for his 12-year-old son and five-year-old daughter with his ex-partner.

He is employed at Camphill Community Glencraig, where he works between 20 and 38 hours a week, helping young people with moderate to severe learning disabilities.

It is shift work, meaning Gerard must catch a train from a stop near the City Hospital in Belfast to Seahill station in Holywood, Co Down most days.

After a long day at work, he returns to his narrow room in Utility Street Men's Hostel, where a single bed fights for space with a small television, CD player and his beloved guitar.

It has been his home for the past two-and-a-half years.

Gerard is one of an increasing number of `working homeless' in Northern Ireland.

He is so far from the stereotypical image of a homeless person that even he struggles to comprehend how he has become trapped in this netherworld of uncertainty and frustration.

"I first became homeless because of relationship breakdown. We lived in Lisburn and the relationship between myself and my partner broke down and I moved out," he said.

It was a situation that Gerard assumed would be temporary.

"I didn't know what to think, looking back. Everything had started to unravel. I just needed somewhere to start from and to get my head together. I wasn't working and wasn't emotionally and mentally in a good place."

Gerard was later diagnosed as suffering from depression.

He spent some time `sofa-surfing', including some time staying with his sister, but it was not a long-term solution.

After finding out about the hostel, which is just off the Donegall Road area of south Belfast, Gerard, originally from west Belfast moved in to `get himself back on his feet'.

Within six months he had his current job, although it is not without its own financial challenges.

"I'm an agency worker so it's not the same wage every week and in a few months time it could end up dropping down again," he explains.

This makes him wary of the private rental sector, where he had found rents to be prohibitively high for someone on his income.

"Some areas I just can't afford to live in," he said.

"There are landlords are looking for £700/800 a month and some of the quality is... there are horror stories I keep hearing from people about things going from bad to worse."

Should a private rental prove suitable, trying to gather up enough money for a deposit - usually involving handing over two-times the monthly rent - is beyond him.

"Even if it was £550, I don't know if I can afford it because you are looking at £1,100 and I'm not getting that together regardless of how well I save, and I save quite well - I don't go out and get drunk - even then there's no way I would be able to afford that. I would have to be in debt before I even got in the door. How would I be able to sustain that?"

He is grateful for the support of staff who "treat us like human beings. (Manager) Edmund McCullough refused to call us `service users' - we're residents here and that means a lot."

However, as he is gets towards three years of living in what was only supposed to have been a temporary arrangement, Gerard's patience is beginning to fray.

"I work and I keep myself busy, but I'm not going to lie, there are times when I'm on my own in my room and it's not good.

"There was a recent refurbishment here and they took away the kitchen so now we have meals made for us. That just feel like it's chipping away at your independence.

"I'm OK because I know how to cook, but, if you came in here and you didn't, how would that prepare you for living on your own.

"I see my children at least once a week, more if I can and depending how their mother is fixed.

"My ex-partner and I get on pretty well. I try and work out outings to do with them, we go into town and go on the train and do thing, but it would be nice to cook them a meal and sit and do DVDs and play board games.

"I feel like an inadequate parent, not being able to find a place for them to go. It's not a nice feeling, for them to know their dad's in a hostel.

"People assume it's for all these reasons that aren't good, but actually I'm still here because I don't have a lot of problems.

"I only have 94 points (on the Housing Executive system for allocating public housing stock). If I had drink or drug problems or had psychological and behavioural problems I would get a house, but is that who people want to live beside?

"There are people who set fire to their homes and that gets them more points to be moved again and do it again. These are people who need treatment and support. But there are people like me who are capable of living and not bothering or annoying anybody, being good neighbours.

"You think what you need is to get a job and that that is a step towards something, but it's not. You're still stuck.

"People say to have hope, but I don't. You have to be realistic. What is going to change in the system or my circumstances? Nothing.

"But I'm not going to give up. I don't know if it's hope or because I'm stubborn."

Mr McCullough said Gerard's stay is one of the longest in the hostel and they currently have three to five residents in employment.