78 people were sleeping rough on Manchester’s streets new figures out today say as nationwide, it has been estimated that 4,000 people a night have been sleeping rough on England’s streets, a 16% increase on last year.
The figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government show more than half of councils in England recorded a rise in rough sleeping compared with the year before.
Charities however estimate that the true figures, which were recorded last November are much higher as across Greater Manchester, the figures revealed 189 people were sleeping on the streets.
The news comes at a time when Greater Manchester’s Authorities are looking to tackle the growing crisis.
Manchester Homelessness Charter has been operating for six months. It deals with the problem in a practical way, by uniting everyone together under one banner to share skills and resources to tackle the issue. It has now received over 130 pledges from across the city, including 33 from businesses to support people towards employment.
Manchester’s Mayoral Candidate Andy Burnham has pledged to give a proportion of his salary to the homeless in the region.Commenting on the figures he tweeted that “rough sleeping is up by 41 per cent in Greater Manchester.While the Tories walk on by on the other side, we’ll work to end it by 2020.”
“These figures once again point to the need for a proposed Homelessness Reduction Bill, which would place the emphasis on prevention and support, rather than on providing housing for a narrow group of people” says Dr Anya Ahmed, Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at Salford University
“While these figures are a snapshot of one night, they back up what those of us who work in this area have known for several years – that homelessness and rough sleeping are increasing at an unprecedented rate.
“Rough sleeping is dangerous and leads to a spiral of other problems, from drug and alcohol use to mental health issues, from which the homeless person finds it difficult to escape. The reasons behind why people become homeless are often complex, but these figures once again point to the need for a proposed Homelessness Reduction Bill, which would place the emphasis on prevention and support, rather than on providing housing for a narrow group of people who meet certain criteria.”
A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: “This government is determined to help the most vulnerable in society, which is why we’re investing £550m to 2020 to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
“Homelessness is more than just a housing issue so we are now funding projects in 225 local authorities to help those people at risk of becoming homeless, already sleeping rough or those with complex needs, to get back on their feet. ”
