Manchester charity warns more young people sleeping rough because of rising rent
Centrepoint say one in five young people they work with are ready to move into independence but can’t because access to affordable housing is "almost non-existent"
There're huge concerns about the number of vulnerable young people across Greater Manchester being pushed out onto the streets, because of increasing rents and lack of affordable housing.
Youth Homeless Charity, Centrepoint, say one in five young people they work with in Manchester can't move out because access to affordable housing is almost non-existent.
Centrepoint’s Director of Policy, Balbir Kaur Chatrik, said: "Youth homelessness is increasing throughout the country - and Manchester follows that trend unfortunately.
"We know that more young people are becoming homeless because of family breakdown, and that's due to the cost of living crisis, and also very very expensive rent, particularly in Manchester.
"Young people just can't afford those rents.
"There's just not enough stable good quality affordable accommodation for young people at all.
"They're either having to sleep on sofas, sleep on buses, or just bed down on the streets, and that is not the start we want for young people."
Coventry Building Society and The Co-operative Bank have announced an extra £2 million donation to help end youth homelessness in Coventry and Manchester.
£1m is going to Centrepoint in Manchester to build genuinely affordable homes for young people who have faced homelessness.
The donation will fund Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme, enabling the development of over 30 new homes in South East Manchester. This initiative offers young people stable, affordable housing while equipping them with the skills and support needed to live independently.
The donation marks a significant step towards ensuring that young people in Coventry and Manchester have access to the support and resources they need to escape the cycle of homelessness. Both Coventry Building Society and The Co-operative Bank say they remain dedicated to making a lasting impact on the communities they serve.
Speaking about the Manchester project, Balbir Kaur Chatrik, said: "We know that one in five young people that we work with are ready to move into independence but can’t do so because access to genuinely affordable housing is almost non-existent, especially in the private rented sector.
"Centrepoint is working to change this, and we're delighted to have support from Coventry Building Society and The Co-operative Bank to pursue this mission. Our project in Manchester signifies the next phase of our work and we look forward to breaking ground.”
"We're going to be building homes, for young people, and they are going to be paying a third of their income on their rent, which means that they can actually stay in that home and go up in their career and then move on, and that is really critical.
"It is going to make a massive difference to the lives of young people, and it's going to really help them get into the private rental sector, get affordable accommodation, and thrive, and that is so important.
"Young people have told us this is what they want and this is what they need so it'll make a massive difference."