‘Shelter are here to defend the right for a safe and secure home’ – homelessness in Manchester & Salford is at a 12 year high

Did you know that the amount of children who become homeless on a daily basis in the United Kingdom is enough to fill two and a half double decker buses?

Well unfortunately that has now become the case as the homelessness is worse than it’s ever been within the last 12 years.

Every 81 minutes, a child in the North West becomes homeless.

According to statistics from the charity Shelter, this number has gradually increased over the last five years and since 2014, 385% more children are living in temporary accommodation.

These statistics mean that around 4,000 children in the UK will be made homeless between now and Christmas Day.

These statistics are damning and charities such as Shelter are aiming to make sure every child has a permanent home.

Hub Manager, John Ryan, told us exactly what Shelter are doing to stop this spiraling trend.

“Every family we see like this, whether it be in Salford, Manchester or across the country – that’s what we’re here to do. To prevent them being the next statistic of homelessness.”

Ultimately, the issue stems down to a lack of social housing. Manchester & Salford are suffering more than any other city in the country other than London.

The city is on a boom with new flats being built constantly, however none of them are affordable, leaving families with children having to live in emergency B&Bs.

“Imagine waking up on Christmas morning as a child in a B&B with no proper cooking facilities.”

Salford are in fact doing a lot in efforts to combat the extreme level of homelessness within their residents. Social housing are being built in order to give these families a good home but their resources are still stretched thin.

“Figures in Salford may not be as stark as Manchester – but one in every 378 children is still too high a figure, it’s one child too many.”

Manager of Shelter’s community fundraiser Lindsay Tilston-Jones has loads planned for Shelter during this festive period to fight homelessness.

.”We’re bringing back our carol service, singing along to all the traditional Christmas carols but also to take a moment to reflect and remember people who are homeless or live in really bad housing conditions.”