Five things Manchester is doing to tackle homelessness now
Manchester council helped more people who had nowhere to live or were at risk of becoming homeless than any other local authority in England last year. The town hall opened 6,525 homeless applications in 2021/22 – 54 pc more than it did three years earlier and higher than any other council in the country.
More social housing is being built to address the long waiting lists in the city and the town hall is also investing in temporary accommodation. Meanwhile, mayor Andy Burnham has expanded Greater Manchester's emergency accommodation scheme to help people who end up sleeping on the streets. Over the last few months, Manchester council has been changing the way it tackles homelessness with the aim of eliminating the use of unsuitable B&Bs for families and preventing people becoming homeless in the first place. The town hall has also refreshed its housing strategy, emphasising affordability.
1. Investing in temporary accommodation As of the end of December, there were 3,189 households living in temporary accommodation in the city - 30 pc more than two years earlier - with the recent increase attributed to more rough sleepers being brought in. But a lack of social housing means many stay in this temporary housing for much longer than it is intended for as they wait for a permanent place to call home.
However, due to rising rents in the private market, some temporary housing providers are withdrawing their properties from these schemes with 175 lost last year alone. To stem the flow, the council is now considering paying more. Previously, people were discouraged from making such arrangements, putting more pressure on temporary accommodation. It is hoped that this new policy will mean that more people can stay where they would prefer, avoiding B&Bs.
"The homelessness team at the city council is doing some great work on the ground to tackle this growing crisis, putting in place practical policies that make a real difference," he said. "For example, giving everyone sleeping rough a 'full duty' so they have a better chance of accessing housing." Manchester Communication Academy in Harpurhey offers families in B&Bs and hotels a place to cook, shower and do their laundry within the school itself. This gives them the privacy that they lack in this unsuitable accommodation.
Working with other organisations - including Shelter, the GM Tenants Union, Manchester Law Centre, Shared Health, The Mustard Tree and Manchester council - the school acts as a 'triage', referring families to the right services. 4. Charities helping people get back on their feet Charities are at the forefront of the fight against homelessness. Even the city-region's rough sleeping scheme A Bed Every Night relies on public donations.
The help he offers these individuals, who often live in supported housing schemes, prepares them to return to the work and break out of vicious cycles. But, over the last six months, he says he has spotted some worrying signs. 5. Building more social housing and making homes affordable Councillors and charities are among those who believe Manchester can't solve its homelessness crisis if it does not have enough social and affordable housing for people who are priced out of the private sector. One of the biggest reasons for homelessness in the city is tenants losing their rented homes – often through no fault of their own.
The cost of renting many of these new homes will be capped at the Local Housing Allowance Level, making the newly-coined 'Manchester Living Rent' truly affordable to everyone in the city, even those relying on housing benefits. Meanwhile, privately sold and rented properties within these developments would be used to raise revenue, subsidising the cost of the affordable ones.
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