Deputy Mayor responds to Government's rough sleeping strategy

Greater Manchester Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Beverley Hughes

Responding to the publication of the Government’s rough sleeping strategy, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Hughes said: “Any investment into ending the humanitarian crisis of rough sleeping has to be welcomed, and we will work with the Government to see what these proposals mean for the work we are already doing in Greater Manchester.

“Here in Greater Manchester we want to end the need for rough sleeping by 2020, and this is well ahead of the Government’s target of 2027. In Greater Manchester we understand the scale and depth of the problem, which is why we are taking urgent action now. We simply can’t wait nine years to solve this.

“Ending the need for rough sleeping in Greater Manchester by the end of the decade is a bold ambition – but that’s how we do things here. And it’s more than just talk – we’ve brought together public bodies, the private sector, and the community and voluntary sector in a way that simply isn’t happening elsewhere. We’ve produced a clear and deliverable plan which is starting to see results.”