They’re aiming to tackle the pressures currently being put on temporary accommodation by turning long-term empty homes throughout the region into safe and secure housing for families who need it.
Temporary accommodation is described as being a ‘vital safety net’ for people who are facing or are at risk of homelessness, as it ensures they have somewhere safe to stay – but rising demand, a shortage of affordable homes, and escalating costs have left Councils, such as Greater Manchester‘s, increasingly reliant on expensive alternatives that are often deemed unsuitable and place a significant strain on local budgets.
At the same time, thousands of long-term empty homes across Greater Manchester remain unused.
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This is why, with new devolved powers, GMCA is now taking what it’s calling a ‘coordinated, region-wide approach’ to bring these empty homes back into use and pioneer long-term solutions to the temporary accommodation crisis.
Greater Manchester reveals its £11.7m plan to tackle empty homes across the region / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
New research has revealed that temporary accommodation usage across the region has nearly doubled since 2019, with 5,915 households now making use of it as of March 2025.
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At the same time, it’s estimated that the region has around 12,700 homes which have been empty for six months or more.
So, the new £11.7 million package – which is funded by GMCA – will be used to refurbish or lease up to 400 properties and help Councils cut bills for ‘costly and unsuitable’ temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts, hostels, or hotels.
“More than 8,000 children are among the families living in temporary accommodation in Greater Manchester and that is simply unacceptable,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham.
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“Homelessness tears young families from their communities and support networks, leaving them in environments that are often wholly unsuitable. This experience leaves lasting scars and that’s why we’re taking bold action.
“By investing an initial £11.7m to bring long-term empty homes back into use, we can offer better housing options, reduce the reliance on costly temporary accommodation, and ease the financial strain on local authorities.”
Alongside this package, another £10.6 million fund will enable councils to provide financial incentives, repair support, and offer temporary leasing options for at least 400 empty homes, ensuring they can be quickly brought into use as temporary or settled accommodation for families.
The programme is part of the work of Greater Manchester’s dedicated Housing First Unit, established to deliver the vision for ‘a healthy home for all’ by 2038.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Michelin-recommended rooftop restaurant Climat has closed its doors with immediate effect
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s top-rated restaurants has announced its shock and immediate closure.
Climat, which is set way up high in Blackfriars House with staggering views of Manchester city centre, has said that the Michelin-recommended restaurant is now permanently closed.
In a heartbreaking statement, founder Christopher Laidler said that Climat is ‘yet another casualty of the times we’re living in’.
Laying out the brutal reality of running a hospitality business, Chris wrote about ‘rampant food inflation’, an ‘ever-increasing tax burden’, and ‘the persistent cost of living crisis’, describing it as a perfect storm against hospitality.
Then delving deeper into the numbers, he shared that Climat has faced an eye-watering £112,000 electricity bill for its first 13 months in business – that’s 400% more than they’d budgeted.
That was chased by a 33% increase in staff wages, then a jump in business rates from £12,000 a year to £38,000 a year.
Couple that with reduced footfall and it’s ‘spelling disaster for so many’.
Climat has closed its doors with immediate effectClimat has laid their finances bare in their closing statement
He wrote: “Whilst I wanted to highlight these reasons for closure, in the naive hope the Government will start to listen before it’s too late for others, I want to acknowledge the fantastic work of our team over the last 3.5 years.
“The closure does not do justice to their efforts and dedication. I’d also like extend a huge debt of gratitude to our guests for their support, enabling us to build a nationally recognised wine list – our raison d’être.”
Signing off, he said: “I wish everyone the very best of luck in these challenging times. Bye for now, Christopher.”
Climat opened in late 2022, with an impressive wine list and a beautiful restaurant space overlooking Manchester.
It didn’t take long before it was added to the Michelin Guide, which wrote: “An open kitchen is the focus of the room, with its aromas filling the air, and the concise fixed-price menu includes well-executed dishes such as halibut with spinach and sorrel velouté, where the ingredient quality shines through.
“Wine is a feature with one side of the room acting as a bar and the carefully curated list deftly mixing traditional and modern styles.”
Claire’s is closing down stores in the UK and Ireland with more than 1,300 jobs set to be lost
Danny Jones
In another hit to domestic shoppers, Claire’s Accessories is closing down en masse across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration once again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire’s will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay of British high streets up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire’s closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded way back in 1961 over in the United States, Claire’s has operated across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they’ve struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They most recently filed for bankruptcy in the US this past August (2025), with their Belgian, Spanish, and Dutch divisions having already called it quits.
Manchester location(s) have changed a lot over time, but now they’re on the way out (Credit: Arndale)
For many, the outcome isn’t all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
Emily Sergeant -
26th November 2025 
