HOUSING charities are forecasting a surge in the number of people forced out of their homes and on to the streets.
With many families now struggling to pay rent and mortgages, Manchester housing groups have issued a stark warning that the number of people sleeping rough and those in temporary accommodation could rise dramatically.
It comes as many charities face having to cut back some of their services as their donations dry up because of the financial crisis.
The number of people sleeping rough in Manchester is hotly disputed. Official figures claim there are only 11, while other organisations say the figure could be as high as 400.
But hundreds more people in the region are at risk of being thrown out of their homes or are already living below the breadline in hostels and B&Bs.
Jan O'Connor, manager of the Wood Street Mission, a 130-year-old charity which provides struggling families with clothes, bedding and toys, said her team had seen an increased demand over the Christmas period.
She said: "We have had extra people referred to us because we give hampers and toys to families who would have to do without. We think one of the reasons could be the credit crunch.
"Although we've the numbers of people we've helped during the last year have been steady, there still remains a huge demand."
Huge demand
Amanda Croome, who runs the Booth drop-in centre at Manchester Cathedral, said there had been a noticeable increase in the number of people she met who had been hit by the credit crunch.
She said: "In the last week we have had five people come to us who have recently lost work. One man we had helped travel to Herefordshire because he had some work but this has now dried up and he is back in Manchester and cannot find anywhere to stay.
"Lots of people who have had seasonal building or handy-man jobs are seeing this finish up. A lot of Eastern European people who came over here when there was a boom in building are now unemployed and unable to travel home or get into hostels because they don't qualify for benefits."
The M.E.N reported earlier this month how long-established homeless charities, such as Barnabus on Bloom Street, had issued a warning over a drop in donations as their regular contributors faced reigning back their spending.
National housing charity Crisis, which surveyed 2,000 people, suggested that as many as one in 10 people are now struggling to keep up with rent or mortgage payments.
Earlier this year, a senior MP called for trendy city centre flats left empty by the property market slump to be turned over to the city's homeless people.
And Vince Cable, the deputy Lib Dem leader, said unsold flats in Manchester should be put to good use by being sold to councils and housing associations.
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mazzy manny mufc, Salford and not a bitter blue nose lemon eater. (06/01/2009 at 17:21)
Ive been saying for years there isnt enough housing in the rented sector,the government just dont put money into it,and they should.
Spop spending on arms that we do not need and concentrate on housing and hard up familys.
TSK (06/01/2009 at 17:42)
andanotherthing, Mcr (06/01/2009 at 17:53)
Hundreds of properties in Clayton , Moston , miles platting, gorton all boarded and left to rot.
Frostee, Oldham (07/01/2009 at 10:15)
Why are so many flats empty when people cannot find a home? This society has become nasty, grasping and greedy. The sooner the politicians address the real problems of ordinary working people, especially the homeless, the better. Nobody should have to sleep rough following eviction through hardship when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of empty properties available.
thaitanium (07/01/2009 at 23:23)
The housing situation is a disgrace at one time it had 26,000 employees and I use that term in the loosest sense and it was more keen on keeping these timeservers on the books than looking after ratepayers interests. When the direct labour "team" was in existance they were more interested in getting to the pub at luchtime and forgetting to go back in the afternoon than doing what they were paid to do and on the rare occasion they did any work it was always down to a price than up to a standard. Some of the estates it manages are not exactly des res but a lot better than a shop doorway if animals were sleeping rough the RSPCA would wade in but it seems to be OK for people to freeze to death. The way the council operates is more suited the the 1950's than the 21st century they promote through the ranks rather on merit, sort of brown coat, white coat, overcoat and heres a final salary pension to go with it.
The only way forward is to privatise the lot especially the housing and not by letting MCC run it by proxy with housing associations run by them.