Official figures are bad enough, with latest Government statistics showing there are 49 rough sleepers in Salford, up from 26 the previous year.* Now, citing Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) research based on referrals to a new long-term homeless support scheme, care leaver support company, Independent Together, believes there could be double the official number...
"There are undoubtedly more rough sleeper's on Salford's streets than the official figures suggest" says Paul Barlow, Director at Independent Together "In the official statistics, someone who has been on the streets for virtually the whole year but finds a bed for one night does not count as a rough sleeper.
"Disguising the figures does not help the problem at root cause" he adds "Greater Manchester Combined Authority deserves credit for taking a realistic look at the numbers and acting accordingly."
Independent Together provides support and accommodation for care leavers age 16 to 25 throughout Greater Manchester, and Paul Barlow warns that more teenagers face ending up on the streets after Tory Government delays to restore housing benefit for people aged 18 to 21. He also believes rising residential rents coupled with high demand is putting a strain on local government in the fight against homelessness.
"In Greater Manchester, we are already seeing an uplift in rental prices and demand is very high" he explains "This puts a strain on local government and businesses like ours. Rising rents are putting the whole system under pressure.
"In our experience, private owners are also reluctant to let to tenants without references from employers or previous landlords, or to benefit claimants" he adds "This is where a company like ours needs to act as an intermediary, matching people in need of a roof over their heads with the right kind of accommodation, while providing landlords with the necessary assurances around payments and looking after their properties."
The Government recently pledged ?100million to end rough sleeping but half was already allocated for homelessness and the rest is money 'reprioritised' from other programmes, according to James Brokenshire, the Housing Secretary.
Organisations dealing with homelessness are urging the Government to follow Finland's approach of 'housing first', in which homeless people are put straight into permanent housing, rather than halfway houses like shelters or hostels, and offered tailored help from social workers. Finland is close to ending rough sleeping.
*The Salford figure for rough sleepers increased because on the snapshot night, those sleeping in hostels were counted for the first time.
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