A new emergency has been declared across Greater Manchester this week, and it’s all to do with the private renting sector.
With recent analysis of official figures having revealed that the main reason people become homeless in our region is down to losing tenancies on private rented homes, four leading charities in the region have joined forces to declare a ‘private rent emergency’ across Greater Manchester, and kick off a new campaign this week.
Stepping Stone Projects, Mustard Tree, The Booth Centre, and Shelter Greater Manchester – which are all dedicated to tackling poverty and ending homelessness – have called for “major changes” to help protect thousands of locals at risk of losing the roof over their heads.
Launched to coincide with World Homeless Day, the new Greater Manchester Private Rent Emergency campaign is aiming to address the escalating homelessness “crisis” in our region.
A new private renting ’emergency’ has been declared in Greater Manchester / Credit: Flickr | Wikimedia Commons
Statistics published by Shelter back in January sadly revealed that our region has some of the highest levels of homelessness in the UK, while Manchester itself ranks as third-highest in the country for homelessness per capita, with around 7,407 people – which is equivalent to one in 74 people – experiencing homelessness.
Rents in some parts of Greater Manchester are rising by as much as 38% annually, which is leaving an escalating number households relying on temporary accommodation.
ADVERTISEMENT
The new campaign has been launched by four leading homelessness charities in the region / Credit: Giving Compass
The four charities argue that these worrying numbers been exacerbated by “a perfect storm” of soaring rents, Local Housing Allowance frozen at 2020 levels, the benefit cap, increasing evictions, and, of course, the current cost of living crisis.
This is why they’re calling on local Councils, politicians, and a range of other stakeholders to publicly-recognise the crisis in the private rental sector.
The four charities are also urging these groups to back their plans for reform.
ADVERTISEMENT
The campaign is calling for “major changes” to help protect thousands at risk of losing their homes / Credit: Pixabay | Geograph
Dave Smith, who is the Chief Executive of Stepping Stone Projects – which supports around 2,000 people at risk of homelessness in Greater Manchester – said the charity has seen a “surging demand” for temporary accommodation from local people who have “effectively been shut out of the private rented sector”.
“This must be recognised and tackled if we are serious about reducing homelessness in Greater Manchester,” he added.
Shelter UK’s Greater Manchester Strategic Lead, John Ryan, also echoed this claim, saying that while the charity’s seen “positive steps” to address rough sleeping and homelessness in the region, the remaining problems that we see will “continue to grow without reform of the private rented sector”.
Over the next couple of months, the campaign group says it will be sharing further information and case studies to highlight the extent of the private renting problem in Greater Manchester.
Featured Image – Albert Bridge (via Geograph)
News
First look at Albert Square as Manchester Christmas Markets return to their spiritual home
Thomas Melia
Manchester Christmas Markets are back and all our Christmas wishes have come true, as its spiritual home Albert Square joins in on the festivities for the first time in six years.
Grab a mulled wine, toast yourself a marshmallow and take a seat, because we’re going to take you on a quick tour of this brand-new offering.
You’ll be able to tick off your Christmas Markets wish list in one place, as Manchester has got all your usual favourites and so much more taking place right here outside of its iconic Town Hall.
As soon as you walk in you’re greeted by a huge sign spelling out the city’s iconic abbreviation ‘MCR’, just in case you forgot where you were, that also doubles as a nice photo opportunity.
Albert Square in Manchester city centre is getting into the Christmas spirit for the first time in six years / Credit: The Manc Group
As you walk into Albert Square there’s a mix of nostalgic wooden huts and brightly coloured modern street food vendor stations waiting to tempt you with all their tasty treats.
There’s no messing around at this Christmas hotspot because not even 10 feet after you enter, you can warm up with a glühwein and bratwurst, yes please.
Think you’re done sampling some festive feasts? Think again as there’s a marshmallow toasting station, a roasted chestnut cart and lots of huts are offering their own hot chocolate creations.
Local street food vendor Rita’s Reign has made her mark in Albert Square too, serving up her foodie feasts with a seasonal spin such as the ‘Festive Feast’ and ‘Christmas Crunch’ combo boxes.
Rita’s Reign is just one of many food vendors at Manchester Christmas Markets / Credit: The Manc Group
As you keep making your way round there’s some lovely gifts and trinkets to browse including tree decorations, ornaments and some vibrant pieces of art.
There’s plenty of ways to keep the kids (and big kids) entertained with some carnival-themed games and stalls as well as a vintage carousel, if that doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit what else will?
Of course, there’s even more food to mention like mini dutch pancakes, toasted sandwiches, French toast, the list is endless (Much like many of our Christmas lists).
And we couldn’t finish our visit without acknowledging the elephant in the room, also known as The Manchester Big Wheel, which is the perfect people-watching spot, but maybe hop on this ride before you try all the tasty treats mentioned above.
Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ on the roads that could seem them hit with hefty fines as winter rolls around.
Once the temperatures drop, and the days get shorter and darker, fog tends to become a more common weather occurrence around this time of year – but an eye-opening new survey has found that most drivers don’t really how to use their fog lights correctly.
According to guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), fog lights should only be used on British roads when visibility drops below 100 metres, yet the new research by eBay has found that 60% of drivers use their fog lights at the wrong times, and what’s more is that one in 10 say they switch on their fog lights when visibility is less than 300 metres.
48% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they activate full-beam headlights when it’s dark, regardless of oncoming traffic and other road users.
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter / Credit: Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
The RAC says these stats reveal a ‘worrying trend’ among motorists, and have warned that these habits could actually means drivers are risking fines of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on their licence.
If the incorrect usage of fog lights wasn’t bad enough as it is, the new research also found that many Brits say they do not stay on-top of regular car maintenance when it comes to car fog lights, either – with just 15% saying they check them every month, and shockingly, 24% stating they’ve never checked them before.
Due to the ongoing issue of headlight glare, in whatever form that may be, The RAC has found that as many as one in four drivers (25%) who find headlights ‘too bright’ are actually driving less as a result.
“Unfortunately for a lot of drivers, the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly-bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort,” explained Rod Dennis, who is the Senior Policy Officer at the RAC.
“While most of us have no choice other than to adapt to driving at night more often as the clocks go back, the fact headlight glare is the leading cause of nervousness underlines it’s a problem that needs tackling.
“At the same time, it’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead, so there’s a balance to be struck.”
Emily Sergeant -
11th October 2023 
