The night-time temperature has plummeted to a cutting -4 degrees C and counting.
Ahead, an empty sleeping bag lies strewn across the frozen pavement - with just two thin pieces of cardboard separating the makeshift bed from the icy ground beneath.
On the wall behind, festive decorations wish passers-by a Merry Christmas.
This is Ipswich in the winter.
"In this weather, it's can be very difficult," says Rob Wragg, an outreach worker with Ipswich Housing Action Group (ihAg).
"People are going to all sorts of measures to stay warm."
The time is 6.30am and daylight is yet to break.
Rob is on one of his early-morning outreach walks, looking to find rough sleepers and encourage them to seek help.
"We find some in apartment blocks, car park lifts and electric cupboards," he adds.
"We've even found some people in areas known to have rats.
"That's just the sad reality of the situation."
On December 7, Ipswich Borough Council activated its severe weather protocol (SWEP), which provides extra help for rough sleepers during spells of cold weather.
Under this initiative, people found on the streets will be provided emergency accommodation - but not every person wants it.
"To us, that seems hard to understand," says Rob as we head towards another rough sleeper hotspot.
"But we have to sit on their side of the table and attempt to see the world how they see it.
"There will be a number of reasons why they have turned it down. It could be they've had a bad experience in the past or they might feel more comfortable where they are.
"It can be frustrating at times but you have to be patient.
"At the end of the day they're people and people can be complicated."
The number of people ihAg workers find on outreach walks can vary dramatically.
One day, they may find one or two.
On another, it can be as many as 11.
When located, they are offered the charity's housing service which provides 55-bed spaces across the town for single people.
Residents able to stay for up to 18 months before moving to independent living.
On a Tuesday and Thursday, rough sleepers are invited to join Breakfast by Invite at ihAg's Chapman Centre where they can get food and fresh clothes, receive medical assistance and take warm showers.
"One of the most difficult things about the process is the moving on stage," says Rob.
"It can take some people longer to get permanent accommodation.
"And with the cost of living crisis, those that do get it are seeing rent and heating go up."
As we turn a corner, we spot the faint outlines of a body tightly wrapped in a sleeping bag.
They have positioned themselves deep inside a roofed area - as if to seek shelter from the bitter cold.
Fully clothed in a coat, hat and gloves, the man is approached and invited to join breakfast at the centre.
Rough sleeping hotspots are spread across the town - from shop fronts to church gardens.
Some areas provide much-needed shelter and warmth, while others simply offer a safe space.
As the sun begins to rise, we walk to the Chapman Centre for Breakfast By Invite.
Inside, advisors and healthcare professionals wait for those needing their support.
"There's a whole world out there needing help," say Becky Harris and Sam Grindrod - mental health nurses with the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
"As the cold weather hits and the conditions get harsher, sleeping on the streets is even more difficult.
"Our team is having to treat a variety of conditions - from wounds to coughs - and, as far as mental health is concerned, most people we work with have suffered trauma.
"Living on the streets and having poor mental health can, unfortunately, go hand-in-hand."
Daniel Harvey, an advice worker for ihAg, adds: "The cold weather can lead to a lot of complex health conditions.
"Some people come in very unwell.
"But here, we can offer a warm shower, food and a change of clothing.
"Our ambition is to help and to just make them feel normal again."
Outside, the sun has risen and the high street is filled with Christmas shoppers.
For Rob, it's the end of another long morning.
"It's important to remember no one chooses to be on the streets," he concludes.
"I have been frozen, I've been soaked and I've been baking hot.
"But that won't ever stop me doing this.
"At the end of the day, they are people like you or me and this could be any one of us."
For the purposes of safety and confidentiality, locations, names and genders of all rough sleepers mentioned have been kept anonymous.
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