Ending rough sleeping by 2020 – new Mayor puts words into action

Ending rough sleeping by 2020

Ending rough sleeping by 2020 is one of the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s top priorities and Andy Burnham is taking immediate action to tackle the issue.

As his first act, the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Homelessness Fund was launched on Monday morning and Mr Burnham has, as he previously promised, donated 15 per cent of his salary to kick start the fund.

A number of local business people have also agreed to contribute and local people are also already supporting the fund.

Donations to the fund can be made at:

https://www.gofundme.com/gm-mayoral-fund

This approach to ending rough sleeping is part of the Mayor's efforts to change the way politics works from day one. He is inviting everyone in Greater Manchester, and beyond, to work with him to help solve the issues that affect the entire city region.

Mr Burnham said: “Greater Manchester has been fortunate enough to witness some of the fastest economic growth nationally over the past decade, but alongside this we have seen a growing inequality which damages us all.

“Whilst the city centre's skyline is filled with cranes, our streets should not be crowded with people who have no roof over their head. Rough sleeping and homelessness are not inevitable consequences of a 21st Century economy. We all have a duty to ensure no one is forced to spend a night on the streets and every Greater Mancunian has a stable place to call home

“That is why I have made ending rough sleeping across the city region by 2020 one of my top Mayoral priorities. Within three years, and if we can achieve it earlier, no one should be forced to spend a night on the streets. I will also work with all relevant organisations to develop a plan to reduce all forms of homelessness in Greater Manchester.”

The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Homelessness Fund will support frontline projects which can demonstrate they are supporting the Mayor’s objective to end rough sleeping and reduce homelessness.

The Mayor's Fund will operate as a Community Foundation, an independent charity which disseminates funds to local organisations through a grant process. In the interim period while the Community Foundation is created, the fund will be available on gofundme, facilitated by Crisis, the national charity for homeless people, and transferred in full to the Mayor's Homelessness Fund on completion of the process.