"This is the stand for any Greater Manchester councillor or politician who wants to be on the side of the homeless...This is how they fight it, by allowing thirty homeless people to stay in one their empty buildings." Danny Jones
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett was today accused of "two facedness" and weeping "crocodile tears" as he told the media that Greater Manchester's homeless crisis is "an absolute disgrace" and asked "Why is this happening in today's society?"
Dennett sits on the Management Panel and on the Property Working Group of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, which today obtained a possession order at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre on the former Pizza Express building, off King Street in Manchester city centre, which the Fund owns.
The building, the Old Colony House, has been occupied by around thirty, mainly young, vulnerable homeless people, following their brutal eviction by the Co-op from its land outside New Century House (see here). Amongst those currently living in the Pizza Express building is a pregnant woman and two people who have autism.
The court hearing this morning, brought by Tameside Council as the lead authority for the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, was due to be heard in secret, until the Salford Star persuaded the judge to open it up in the public interest.
Speaking as a friend and on behalf of the homeless people, Debbie Blanshard, of Greater Manchester Housing Action, implored the judge and the GM Pension Fund to hold off the possession order...
"These are extremely vulnerable people" she explained "but not vulnerable enough for Manchester Council to house them. One pregnant girl was told to `come back later' because she was only three months pregnant and not `legally pregnant', which is seven months. These people are doing the best they can but can't get a house. The Council has done nothing."
The possession order was granted and the Salford Star understands that the GM Pension Fund will be turfing the extremely vulnerable people back onto the streets early next week.
In the wake of the judgement, Chris Blaine - who is homeless and has just got out of Strangeways jail after receiving a two month sentence for protesting about homelessness following the Ducie Bridge pub eviction (see here) slated politicians and councillors who "cry woe in the papers...and are making us homeless"...
"It's just another example of the two facedness of the councils that we elect to represent us as citizens" he said "These people are making us homeless. The Pension Fund owns an empty building that's not being used but is very useable for us."
On Dennett's comments in the media, he added "Instead of crying crocodile tears why doesn't he get involved and say `Yes this is a sham; let's give them somewhere to stay, somewhere warm for the winter, somewhere safe for the winter'?.
"It will cost you absolutely nothing" he explained in a message to Dennett and other councillors who control the Fund "You are still going to sell the building, you're still going to make your millions from it, your pension pots are not going to have a hole in them, so get real, and deal with the problem.
"Come and talk to us rather than making yourself out to be a caring member of the council" he added "Get down here and start talking. It doesn't matter whether you're from Salford, Tameside, Manchester...as a group come and talk to us, find out what's needed and start working with us. We've all got the same aim. We all want to end homelessness, so start showing that by your actions, rather than weeping crocodile tears in the paper. Words mean nothing without homes."
This evening, the homeless people are set to deliver a letter containing these sentiments to the home of Tameside Councillor, Kieran Quinn, who is Chair of the Pension Fund.
"The politicians have the power between them, including Mr Dennett, Mr Quinn and Mr Burnham, to allow this building to continue to be used, in a meanwhile use" said Danny Jones of Manchester Activist Network who is also living at the Pizza Express building
"This is the stand for any Greater Manchester councillor or politician who wants to be on the side of the homeless" he added "This is the cause. This is how they fight it, by allowing thirty homeless people to stay in one their empty buildings."
The Greater Manchester Pension Fund has £17billion of assets and almost everyone in Greater Manchester who works in the public sector pays into it. Employees' contributions totalled £142million last year alone. Now Danny wants all of these public sector workers to put pressure on the GM Fund to stop the eviction of homeless people...
"Every single person who pays into the Fund is a stakeholder in this building" he said "This is their building, it's their pension. Everyone who wants to ally themselves to sympathy for our plight of homelessness and support our cause...well, this is the cause. This is where they can have an impact."
In response, a Tameside Council spokesperson told the Salford Star: "The Greater Manchester Pension Fund administered by Tameside Council was granted an order for possession by Manchester County Court this morning of the Old Colony House property. The Fund will be liaising with appropriate agencies to obtain possession of the building so that we can find new tenants to pay pension liabilities.
"All agencies and the courts agree that the current living arrangements for the vulnerable young people squatting in it are not appropriate or safe, particularly as winter takes a grip" they added "We will be working with all agencies, including the Manchester Homelessness services, to support them to find appropriate accommodation."
Update: 15th November: Tameside Council has been in touch to say that "Paul Dennett stepped down from his GMPF role when he became Mayor of Salford" - the last public minutes of the GMPF show him in that role, as do the official accounts printed in September.
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