Greater Manchester’s pioneering approach to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping will get a £16.95 million funding boost from the government, helping the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) provide more support to people in need this winter.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig is set to build on the existing foundations of tackling homelessness, and go further – getting more people into A Bed Every Night to access support, and tackling the root causes of the housing crisis by building more council and social homes across Greater Manchester’s towns and cities.
Greater Manchester’s pioneering approach has already shown the impact of joined-up action to offer emergency support and make targeted interventions to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping in the first place.
The number of people seen sleeping rough on a single night in Greater Manchester last year was 197 – well down from the peak of 268 in 2017, and equivalent to 6.5 per 100,000 people, below the national average of 8.2.
At the same time, GMCA’s A Bed Every Night service, which provides accommodation and personalised support, has helped more than 8,000 people since 2021, and 6,000 have moved on into suitable, sustainable accommodation.
An initial £6.1m from the government is set to help GMCA ensure an offer of accommodation and support is there for everyone who needs it by Christmas this year, while £10.85m next year will help the Authority work with councils and partners in the sector to take on more properties to provide sustainable, long-term accommodation for people to get back on their feet.
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.”
A national funding package of £442 million was announced by the government last month, as part of the drive to end rough sleeping around the country.
Based on the Greater Manchester model and the Everyone In approach adopted during the COVID pandemic, the funding will help to provide accommodation and wrapround support, including practical help with housing and health needs, as well as other issues.
