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Greater Manchester Metro Mayor Andy Burnham has raised the pressure on Government to pump funding into ‘safe spaces’ for rough sleepers over the COVID-19 crisis.
After Mayor of London Sadiq Khan secured hotel rooms for rough sleepers to self-isolate, Burnham is called on Government to release funding to councils “with immediate effect” so they can pay for accommodation for anyone sleeping rough.
“No person should be forced to sleep on the streets of Britain at any time but certainly not now,” said Burnham.
“This must be an extremely worrying time for anyone who is homeless, they are not able to access or follow the Government’s advice in the same way as others and need to be helped to do so,” he said.
Despite Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick being alongside Boris Johnson at today’s COVID-19 briefing (March 22), the issue of help for the homeless was not raised.
“In Greater Manchester, the number of people sleeping rough is reducing but, at the last count, there are still over a hundred people out there.
“Across the country, thousands of people are still sleeping rough – they need to be supported as a matter of urgency both for their own good and to limit the spread of the virus,” said Burnham.
“Government needs to say, at the daily briefing, that they are requiring local authorities to house all people sleeping rough and that this will be fully funded,” he said.
