FIGURES have revealed that over 120,000 children across the UK will be homeless or living long-term in temporary accommodation this Christmas – with 1,400 in Greater Manchester.
Housing and homelessness charity Shelter, launched the ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign earlier this year alongside claims that the figures for Greater Manchester have risen by 71 percent since 2015.
John Ryan, Shelter Greater Manchester hub manager, said: “One family in Greater Manchester waking up homeless this Christmas morning is heartbreaking enough, let alone over 1,400. But even after 25 years working in Manchester, too many families still need our help.”
The campaign encourages signatures in support of Theresa May placing ending homelessness as an urgent priority for the new government.
However, upcoming government measures could lead to even more vulnerable children in the new year, with a minimum of 450 families in Salford being affected.
Very worried about the impact of this https://t.co/VGiUsJdyLj
— SalfordMayor (@salford_mayor) December 12, 2016
A benefit cap will be introduced on Monday December 19, meaning the maximum benefits which can be claimed by couples and lone parents is set to drop by £6,000.
Local politicians are trying to push tackling homelessness as hard as they can, with youngsters struggling at school being a priority.
Councillor Paul Longshaw, Lead Member for Housing and Neighbourhoods in Salford, said: “We’ve had a 70 percent increase in the amount of people that are coming to our help and advice team who have got insecure tenancies or are actually homeless.”
“Within the first seven months of this year, we’ve had 250 families that we’ve placed in temporary accommodation.
“We’re finding that a lot of private rented landlords are now getting out of the sector and are looking to sell the homes, rather than continue to be private landlords.
“A consequence of this is we’re finding it difficult to place families in temporary accommodation where their existing support network is.
“When the young people’s schools or family support network is a ten or fifteen mile journey away, it’s something that really impacts on the emotional wellbeing of those children and their families.”
Going to school to learn & play should be fun. But for 120,000 homeless children in Britain, its tougher than tough https://t.co/Zm1xaB85iV
— Paul_ (@PaulfromSalford) December 9, 2016
Shelter turned 50 earlier this month and first opened its Manchester service over 25 years ago. It has since offered advice, support, and guidance to more than 8,100 local residents.
Anyone living in Manchester can get free and expert housing advice from Shelter
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