A report has been published on homelessness in Manchester, with the findings set to be considered by the city council tomorrow.
The report has outlined that there has been a slight reduction in the number of households that are living in temporary accommodation, with this going against the national trend. This has mainly come down to a dramatic decrease in the use of Bed and Breakfast style accommodation for families, with the council deeming this unacceptable and committing to eradicating it. Where there was previously a peak of 227 families in Bed and Breakfast style accommodation in February 2023, the end of June 2024 saw that number brought down to just seven.
Now that there has been a significant reduction in the amount of Bed and Breakfast style accommodation being used by the city council, and a greater focus on preventing homelessness, the council is now turning its gaze to reducing temporary accommodation placements outside the city council area. With the supply of accommodation under pressure from demand, some people have found themselves placed in accommodation in other boroughs within Greater Manchester. The council understands that this is not ideal for those involved, as it can impact education, health, and wider welfare.
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:
“Tackling homelessness remains a key priority for us and a huge challenge. After meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, we are looking forward to working with the new Government to support a national homelessness strategy to address the underlying issues.
“We are doing all we can - including building more council, social and genuinely affordable homes that at any point in the last 20 years - to tackle some of the local structural factors but it’s a complex challenge much of which can only be addressed at a national level.”
In order to tackle this issue, the council will begin work on replacing accommodation outside of the city of Manchester with alternatives in the city, however this could take two to three years. One way that the council has already begun this process is by converting surplus or disused accommodation that it already owns.
Examples of this include:
- 24 self-contained units being created in a disused children’s home in central Manchester
- A 16-bedspace hostel being created from a former Sure Start centre in north Manchester
- A former probation office in Wythenshawe being transformed into a 19-bed temporary accommodation hostel
Alongside these projects, the government’s Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme will support the funding of an additional 42 one bed flats across a number of areas of Manchester.
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