More than 5,000 young people at risk of homelessness in Greater Manchester
The charity Centrepoint says council are unable to deal with the crisis because they are underfunded
5,044 young people in Greater Manchester approached their local authority for help in 2017/18 because they were homeless or at risk of homelessness, according to new findings from leading youth homelessness charity Centrepoint.
Centrepoint collected the data through Freedom of Information Requests (FOI). All 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester provided data on the number of young people who approached them because they were homeless, or at risk, meaning the figure of 5,044 is exact.
The 2017/18 data covers the final 12 months before the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act, which places an obligation on councils to provide support to prevent and relieve homelessness, including through free tailored information and advice and a personalised housing plan.
Centrepoint is working in partnership with Manchester City Council, one of the local authorities which make up Greater Manchester, to help assess 16-24 who ask for help and make sure they get the best support available. This partnership allows Centrepoint to use its expertise working with young people to deliver a first-class service focused on young people’s needs.
But the charity is concerned that the funding provided to councils to enable them to fulfil their new duties is not enough. Based on the government’s own costing’s, Centrepoint estimates that 234 per cent more funding, totalling more than £1.2M, is needed across Greater Manchester to cover the cost of assessing and providing prevention to all 16 to 24-year-olds affected by homelessness.
Commenting on the figures Centrepoint’s Chief Executive, Seyi Obakin, said:
“Across Greater Manchester thousands of young people asked their council for help with homelessness last year.
“Under the Homelessness Reduction Act councils are required to assess and support all young people coming through their doors. The Act is a big step in the right direction, but our analysis suggests the funding provided comes nowhere near what is required for councils to fulfil their new duties.
“The government has been increasingly vocal on the issue of homelessness but without extra funding for councils to meet their new obligations they are risking setting councils up to fail.”
Councillor Sue Murphy, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said:
"Austerity and welfare changes have increased the number of young people facing homeless nationwide, and it's something that Manchester in common with other major cities is very much experiencing.
“We are working hard with partners including Centrepoint to provide support and advice to help prevent young people becoming homeless in the first place and provide a safety net for those who do.
“However, it is a significant challenge and it's not getting any easier as central government funding fails to keep pace with the increased responsibilities placed on councils.