Burnham announces £6m for homelessness scheme

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has announced a £6 million funding package for the second phase of the flagship A Bed Every Night scheme.

It is hoped that extra provision will mean that there should be a place for every person seeking support. 400 places have been commissioned up to June 2020 to end the need for rough sleeping in all Greater Manchester boroughs, a substantial increase on the 300 beds available in Phase 1.

As well as increasing the number of places, Phase 2 seeks to improve the quality of support, with provision to be more varied ensuring that people’s specific needs can be met, including women-only spaces, provision for couples and, through the greater involvement of NHS colleagues, those with complex needs such as addictions and mental health.

The ground-breaking A Bed Every Night scheme – the first of its kind in the UK - started in November 2018 to provide a bed, warm welcome and personal support for anyone sleeping on the streets. A Bed Every Night Phase 2 will go live on 1 October 2019.

Burnham said: “In 2017, I made a firm commitment to do everything I could to end the need for rough sleeping by 2020 and it remains my top priority. With this strengthening of A Bed Every Night, I believe we have a plan that honours that pledge. People gave us honest feedback on Phase 1 and these new plans seeks to respond to it. It is not perfect but it is getting better all the time. Today Greater Manchester is going up yet another gear in its response to the homelessness crisis.

“I am hugely grateful to all of our partners for answering the call to action and rallying round. I am particularly indebted to our colleagues in the NHS whose greater input into A Bed Every Night will make a huge difference.”