At least 33 people living homeless died last year in Greater Manchester

Startling new figures have shown that dozens of people across Greater Manchester died while living on the streets last year.

The figures, released by the Office for National Statistics, show that at least thirty-three homeless people died across the region in 2020. 

While the numbers mainly include those who were homeless at or around the time of death, they also include those using emergency accommodation such as homeless shelters and direct access hostels. 

This statistic is down from the fifty-one recorded deaths in 2019, but is still 65% higher than the twenty homeless deaths estimated in 2013, when the figures were first collected.

Manchester has the highest rate of death amongst homeless people in the whole of Greater Manchester, with an estimated 123 deaths between 2013 and 2020.

Across England and Wales, it was estimated that 688 homeless people died during 2020, which is 43% higher than the number when the figures began in 2013.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, one the UK’s leading homelessness charities, said: “To think at least 688 people’s final days were spent homeless in the pandemic is a sobering thought. If it wasn’t for the government’s Covid response to help people off the streets even more lives would have been lost.

“As we head into another hard winter with the virus still circulating, we cannot leave anyone out in the cold. Our services are already being approached by people in need of emergency accommodation, who are being turned away by councils and often told they have no rights.

“The government must step in again to keep people safe from Covid and the ravages of homelessness this winter. Councils need clear guidance to ensure everyone at risk of sleeping rough is offered emergency accommodation, and the funding to provide it.”

This comes just one week on from the launch of The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity’s A Bed Every Night appeal, which implores the public for £30,000 in donations to help provide 1,000 beds to those who need them the most.

Andy Burnham said: “Here in Greater Manchester our ground-breaking approach to rough sleeping and homelessness is working, and making a real difference.

“The number of people sleeping on our streets is at its lowest since 2013. But we will not rest until we have eradicated the need for rough sleeping from our city-region. Please donate what you can to A Bed Every Night and help us raise £30,000 to provide 1,000 places of safety this Christmas.”

For more information and to donate, head over to the 1000 Beds JustGiving page. You can also find more information over at the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity website.