Grant Wilson was 30 when he bought his first bed.
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"Last year I bought myself a queen-sized bed from Harvey Norman. It cost me a bit but it's better than nothing,'' he said.
And nothing is what Grant often had.
Now a vendor for The Big Issue, selling the magazine on Bunda Street on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, Grant was often homeless growing up.
He has shared his story in The Big Issue's current special edition on homelessness, raising awareness of the estimated 116,427 people who don’t have a place to call home tonight, or tomorrow.
Grant says he was "kicked out of home at 13 due to personal issues''. He stayed with friends but ultimately went from "one youth refuge to another''. Still in his teens, he also slept rough.
"Being homeless means you always have to watch your back. There was nobody that I could trust. There are lots of people who would rip you off. Lots of times I have had all my stuff stolen. One of the worst things about being homeless is the lack of sleep. Today I have sleeping problems from being homeless,'' he told the magazine.
He now lives in a unit through Common Ground Canberra, which provides people in need with safe and secure housing at a rent they could afford.
Grant, 31, whose record is 134 copies of The Big Issue sold in one day, said the best thing about having his own unit was being "safe and happy''.
