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Council announces plans to get Manchester’s rough sleepers off the streets this winter

Help is on hand.

Emily Sergeant - 30th October 2024

A plan to get rough sleepers off the streets of Manchester and into temporary accommodation this winter has been published.

As the temperatures turn colder by the day, Manchester City Council has once again confirmed it will be working with local partners and health services to set out an action plan that makes sure no one experiencing street homelessness in Greater Manchester is left out in the cold this winter.

Even though there is year-round provision at Etrop Grange Hotel in Wythenshawe – which is funded by the Council, with support from Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) – dedicated to moving homeless people off the streets and into accommodation, with teams routinely walking around and connecting those in need with help, the winter always brings increased challenges.

This is why the Council’s efforts to support will be enhanced from this Friday (1 November), and a system of increased outreach will be introduced.

Councils across the UK are known to put cold weather plans in place each year, with the national benchmark for them to come into force being when temperatures are forecast to drop to zero or below for three or more consecutive nights – but here in Manchester, the temperature only needs to be forecast to drop below freezing for a single night for the plans to be activated.

When the weather is forecast to drop below zero, a severe weather emergency protocol will be called, and this leads to stepped-up support which operates until 4:30am.

This allows Council officers to support people into accommodation, paving the way to connect them with any additional support that they need, and to carry out a housing assessment that’ll help find them a suitable move-on pathway.  

“We work year-round to help people off the streets, giving them access to the support they need to help them get on with their lives,” explained Councillor Joanna Midgley, who is the Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council.

“However, as it gets colder, people are more likely to accept help and come inside.

“This is why we expand our outreach offer and our officers, along with partner agencies, work into the early hours seeking out people who have bedded down so that we can offer them the opportunity to come indoors and access additional support. 

Read more:

• ‘Life-changing’ scheme helps house hundreds of Greater Manchester’s homeless people
• Five ways you can help homeless people in Greater Manchester this winter
• ‘No-fault’ evictions banned in England under historic new legislation

“This is especially important, as sometimes coming inside in cold weather is the impetus that they need to accept help that we, along with our partners, can provide, and it is often the first step on the road to a better, healthier future.”

Featured Image – Garry Knight (via Flickr)