The Greater Manchester area facing another winter in 'crisis'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Salford council is spending millions of pounds funding temporary housing for people facing homelessness. Bosses in the town hall say total allocated to temporary accommodation could hit £10m this year - up by nearly £3m from 2023/24 - as costs continue to climb in the face of huge pressures on council services.

Some of that money can be claimed back from the government through housing benefit subsidy, but this does not cover the full amount and has left Salford with a £5.6m gap to plug.

Housing has become a major problem in Salford, with mayor Paul Dennett declaring a crisis in January after record levels of homelessness.

The council was forced to open an emergency overnight shelter just before Christmas last year to try and help growing numbers facing life on the streets. READ MORE: A ‘neglected’ part of Salford could be about to change One of the Salford residents who stayed in the shelter, a 47-year-old called James, told the Manchester Evening News at the time that he feared for his life while sleeping on a park bench as temperatures dropped.