Housing providers lead £1.8m drive to tackle entrenched rough sleeping in Greater Manchester

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A partnership of Greater Manchester housing providers, charities and social investors have been selected to deliver a Government-funded programme worth up to £1.8m that will help around 200 rough sleepers in Greater Manchester start a new life off the streets.

The newly established Greater Manchester Homes Partnership will work with ‘entrenched rough sleepers’ – people who have regularly slept rough over the past two years and/or are well known to homelessness services – over a three-year period.

People who may have struggled with tenancies in the past will be given a second chance to have a home. Shelter, Great Places and The Brick will ensure individuals receive the right type of emotional and practical support to help them stay in their new homes and create a new life that works for them.

The consortium has been put together by One Manchester and Trafford Housing Trust, two Greater Manchester-based housing providers, and Bridges Fund Management, which manages funds on behalf of a range of impact-driven investors, including Greater Manchester Pension Fund.

This project will be the largest of the Department for Communities and Local Government’s ‘Entrenched Rough Sleeping’ social impact bonds. A three-year programme will now be delivered to tackle rough sleeping through the GM Homes Partnership, a newly established partnership dedicated to this challenge.

John Ryan, who runs Shelter’s Manchester hub, said: “The Greater Manchester Homes Partnership is a great opportunity for us to work collaboratively with a range of partners to reach even more people across the city who urgently need our support. The partnership will help end the devastating scourge of street homelessness, which is one of the Mayor’s priorities, and we are delighted to be part of it.”

A total of 270 homes will be made available by 15 of Greater Manchester’s housing providers and two private rented sector partners.

Gareth Swarbrick, RBH Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted to be involved in this ground-breaking partnership work which will make a real difference to some of our most vulnerable local people here in Rochdale and across Greater Manchester”