Greater Manchester is set to receive a cut of a £20 million fund to buy and refurbish properties for families and individuals at risk of homelessness in the region.
The £20m National Homelessness Property Fund 2 (NHPF2) – which was announced by social investment firm Resonance – aims to tackle the “alarming” numbers of people living in temporary or inappropriate accommodation in the North West, and will see houses, flats and apartments purchased through the the fund and leased to housing associations and homelessness charities.
Greater Manchester will get £5m to buy and renovate 50 one and two-bedroom houses, with additional scope to secure another 100 properties in the city-region and surrounding areas.
It’s believed that more than 80,000 people are currently on social housing waiting lists across Greater Manchester.
The initial investment will aim to provide housing for more than 250 people currently living in temporary accommodation, B&Bs or sleeping rough, but the fund will eventually aim to raise up to £100m to support hundreds more in need.
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Housing providers will also work with charities to help individuals and families find employment or education, and save for a deposit to move into the private rented sector with a track record of maintaining a tenancy.
This is the second iteration of the National Homelessness Property Fund (NHPF).
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The NHPF is the brainchild Resonance and ethical lettings agency Let Us – which is formed of five housing providers including Bolton At Home, ForHousing, Salix Homes, Stockport Homes Group and Wigan Council – and is funded by each of the Greater Manchester councils through the combined authority, along with the regional pension fund and social impact investors Big Society Capital.
Wikimedia Commons / Gary Knight
The first iteration of the fund – which ran from 2015 to 2018 – raised £30m to buy 229 properties for 587 people.
Speaking on the fund, Simon Chisholm – Chief Investment Officer at Resonance – said: “With homelessness on the rise, the need for safe, decent and affordable housing is significant. Building on the success of our previous property funds, we are proud to launch the NHPF2, which will initially focus on purchasing affordable homes across the North West.
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“This will enable the fund to make a real difference to hundreds of people’s lives across the region.”
Paul Dennett – Mayor of Salford and the city-region’s lead on homelessness – has welcomed the fund as a “timely initiative”.
He added: “The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated an already alarming crisis of housing and homelessness in this country, and its impact will be felt for many months to come. We face a dangerous winter that threatens to push many more people into hardship, and we should be doing all that we can to prevent further housing insecurity.
“We want high quality, truly affordable homes to be available to everyone across Greater Manchester,
“And the follow-on fund announced today by Resonance is a positive contribution to that goal and towards tackling the housing and homelessness crisis within Greater Manchester.”
You can find more information on the National Homelessness Property Fund 2 (NHPF2)here.
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Manchester’s newest hotel launches massive recruitment drive with 100+ jobs available
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s newest hotels has launched a massive recruitment drive with more than 100 jobs available to locals.
The Medlock, Manchester’s bold new 401-bedroom hotel – which is born from a partnership between Manchester City Football Club and Radisson Hotel Group, and is set to open later this year in the autumn – is looking for new team members across a wide range of areas, including front of house, housekeeping, engineering, and reservations.
To welcome these new team members onboard, the hotel has now launched a massive recruitment drive with dozens of roles available to local people.
Individuals who bring ‘authenticity, pride, and personality’ to everything they do are encouraged to apply for the roles – which go live early next week (Monday 27 April).
Aimed at boosting employment within the local community, vacancies span front-of-house, housekeeping, engineering and reservations.
The recruitment drive – delivered in partnership with Total People – is being lead by Valor Hospitality, the hotel’s operator chosen for its global expertise and people-first approach to hospitality, and will be offering tailored training programmes that are designed to make careers in hospitality accessible to Manchester residents.
Vocational qualifications across a range of skills will help individuals build confidence and step into rewarding roles in the industry, and it also means prior experience is not entirely necessary.
More than 100 roles will be available to local people / Credit: Supplied
General Manager Richard Pearson says the recruitment drive is a ‘unique opportunity to be part of an exciting partnership’.
“This is a milestone we’ve been eagerly anticipating, building the team that will bring The Medlock to life,” he added. “We’re looking for people who carry the spirit of Manchester with them, people who are proud of where they’re from and passionate about creating something special together.”
As mentioned, all job adverts will go live next Monday (27 April) so hopefuls can get their applications submitted here.
This’ll then be followed by invite-only open days for shortlisted candidates in mid May.
Featured Image – Supplied
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UK passes bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking in ‘historic’ moment
Emily Sergeant
In what is described as being a ‘historic moment’, the UK has now passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from ever buying tobacco products.
It’s been a long time coming, but the final draft of the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill completed its journey through the Houses of Commons and Lords yesterday (21 April 2026), and is now on its way to receiving royal assent to officially become the law.
For those unfamiliar, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop people who were born on or after 1 January 2009 from ever taking up smoking.
It will also give Government ministers new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products – including their flavours and packaging, which make them more appealing to younger generations.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has hailed the bill’s passing as a ‘historic moment for the nation’s health’ on the road to creating a smoke-free generation.
The UK has passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking / Credit: Lil Artsy (via Pexels)
“Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” Mr Streeting said after the bill was passed this week.
“Prevention is better than cure. This reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.”
The ban on purchasing tobacco products for those born after 2008 was first mooted by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Government a number of years back, but was eventually shelved ahead of the 2024 General Election, and then revived again by Labour when they took power.
The bill’s passing parliament has been welcomed by charities and campaign groups – most notably Cancer Research UK.
“This is a historic achievement that will shield our children from the devastating grip of tobacco addiction and help to put an end to cancers caused by smoking,” concluded Michelle Mitchell, who is the Chief Executive Officer at Cancer Research.
The Manc -
7th December 2020 
