Greater Manchester is set to receive a £16.95 million funding boost from the Government to expand its homelessness and rough sleeping support services, building on a decade of work that has made the city region a national leader in tackling the issue.
The funding will help Greater Manchester strengthen its flagship A Bed Every Night programme, ensuring more vulnerable residents can access accommodation and tailored support throughout the winter months.
The announcement comes as local leaders continue to address the combined challenges of rising living costs, increasing housing demand and a shortage of genuinely affordable homes.
Greater Manchester's approach to homelessness prevention has become a blueprint for national policy, demonstrating how coordinated action between councils, housing providers and support services can reduce rough sleeping while helping people move into stable accommodation.
Figures show that the number of people sleeping rough on a single night across Greater Manchester fell to 197 last year, down from a peak of 268 in 2017. The rate of 6.5 rough sleepers per 100,000 residents is also below the national average of 8.2.
Since 2021, the ABEN scheme has supported more than 8,000 people, with around 6,000 moving into suitable and sustainable accommodation.
An initial £6.1 million allocation will be made available this year, helping Greater Manchester ensure accommodation and support are available to anyone who needs them by Christmas.
A further £10.85 million will follow next year, enabling councils and partner organisations to acquire additional properties and expand long-term housing options for people experiencing homelessness.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig said:
“In a rich country like ours, no one should be stuck on the streets, and no one should be shut out from accessing the help they need. As Mayor I’m determined to make sure everyone has safe and secure accommodation this winter.
“In my first weeks as Mayor, I’ve made it my priority to get more people into A Bed Every Night, offer a route for everyone who needs it to get off the streets, and ensure nobody is left without access to wraparound support this Christmas.
“As the temperatures start to drop, I will be leading our city region's efforts, together with our dedicated partners across the sector, to make sure nobody is forced to sleep rough this winter. We will be putting this new funding to action immediately, helping to strengthen our ABEN support offer for more people this year.
“Having created the blueprint for this national mission here in Greater Manchester means we're already in prime position to go further and faster, providing emergency support now and putting in place the longer-term measures that will strike at the root causes of the housing crisis and prevent homelessness. But this is just the start.
“Because it’s not just about bringing everyone in – it's about stopping people from being left out in the first place. That’s why I’m determined to ramp up the delivery of more council and genuinely affordable homes, building 50,000 by 2039 and giving more people the security that a good home brings, and why I will continue facing up to this crisis as Mayor.”
The investment forms part of a wider £442 million national funding package announced by the Government to accelerate efforts to end rough sleeping across England.
Drawing on the lessons of Greater Manchester's pioneering model and the successful Everyone In programme introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, the funding will support accommodation provision alongside wraparound services addressing housing, health and wider support needs.
Alongside emergency accommodation programmes, Greater Manchester continues to invest heavily in homelessness prevention initiatives.
Its Housing First programme has already provided long-term homes and support to more than 400 people with complex needs, while the Youth Homelessness Prevention Service has supported over 2,500 young people at risk of homelessness, successfully preventing homelessness in 82% of cases.
The city region is also investing more than £10 million to bring up to 400 empty homes back into use. These properties will provide temporary accommodation for families in need while helping councils reduce reliance on costly temporary options such as hotels, hostels and B&Bs.
As part of a broader housing strategy, Mayor Bev Craig has pledged to deliver 50,000 new council, social and genuinely affordable homes across Greater Manchester by 2039, unlocking public land and accelerating housing development across the city region.
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