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Greater Manchester extends Housing First pilot under new £37m funding deal
The leaders of councils in Greater Manchester have agreed a new £37m funding deal that will pay for several initiatives to house and support homeless people in the region.
In an announcement today, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) revealed that a £37.1m, five-year funding plan has been agreed and that the money will go towards initiatives such as the extension of the Housing First pilot.
In total, £7.39m will be given to extend the Housing First Pilot until 2024, which was first launched in 2019.
The Greater Manchester Housing First pilot was one of three being run in the country, alongside similar schemes in the Liverpool City Region and West Midlands.
However, fears were raised in October last year that thousands of people could have been turned out onto the streets after more funding was not announced in the government’s Spending Review.
According to the GMCA, the pilot has supported 325 tenancies so far for people with entrenched experiences of rough sleeping, with an 85% retention rate over three years.
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Alongside the money for Housing First, £16.68m is being given to its Community Accommodation Service. This programme provides up to 12 weeks of accommodation and support for those leaving custody without housing.
The money will make 132 bedspaces available. In recent years, this scheme has provided 93% of prison leavers with a place to stay.
A total of £3.87m will go towards the new Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme and £9.18m will be for the Rough Sleeper Initiative, which helps to provide tailored support for mental health, substance issues or domestic abuse issues.
An additional £5.85m will be given to support the A Bed Every Night scheme. The programme aims to get homeless people in Manchester into shelter every evening.
Commenting on the new settlement, mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “The idea that we’re now in this position, when five years ago we were struggling for the infrastructure and funds we needed to tackle rough sleeping and homelessness, is something the whole of Greater Manchester should be proud of.
“Now we are setting out a clear, five-year funding package, covering a range of accommodation and support for people who are homeless or at risk. It is huge progress.
“No one should be left with no option but to sleep rough, but we sadly know that we need this strong safety net for those in desperate need.
“We are once again sending out a clear message that we won’t sit by and ignore homelessness and rough sleeping. We are grateful to government for the funding they’ve provided to support our ambitions for the people of Greater Manchester.”
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