A musician who spent eight months sleeping rough as a teenager has called for empty properties to be opened to homeless people “so they can get back on their feet”.

JJ Leone, who was born in Leytonstone and grew up in Echo Heights in Chingford, said the 222 homes in Waltham Forest could be better utilized by providing temporary shelter for people on a rota system.  

After moving to Northampton to chase his dreams as a musician, JJ found himself sleeping on the streets at 19 after a number of people in the music industry failed to pay him for his work.

“It’s just a waste really,” said the 25-year-old singer-songwriter.

“You’ve got people who are out in the cold and the houses are just sitting there.

“There should be a rota system where the houses would be available short-term for people, just a month would be enough for people to get back on their feet.

“It is often through no fault of their own that these people end up homeless.

“Some people say they are on drugs but I have met people with really sad stories like soldiers who have seen a lot of stuff and have mental health problems.”

Apart from facing the cold every night and not having enough food, the worst thing for JJ when he was homeless was “the feeling of failure”.

After months of having nowhere to go, things started to pick up after he moved in with a friend and signed a record deal.

Now a successful musician who will release his latest single this month, JJ makes an effort to connect with those he sees begging rather than turning a blind eye.

He added: “I’m glad I had that experience because it opened my eyes to looking out for others. When I see someone in that situation I have a chat with them.

“Just giving them the time of day and buying them a coffee or a double cheeseburger can show them that someone cares about them.

“When you are on the street there’s the feeling of having people look down on you. They’ve got no time for you. It’s not a nice feeling to have people look at you like that when they don’t know anything about you.

 “When I tell them I was once homeless they don’t know how to react. I don’t look like I have been through that experience. But I tell them it won’t always be like this and there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

JJ will release his latest single Four-Five Minutes on January 26.