Star date: 8th May 2019

DOG UNITS, STAB VESTS AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ENFORCEMENT AGENTS EVICT ECCLES SHELTER

On the day that Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, announced that his A Bed Every Night initiative was to be extended for a year, the Sheriff's Office enforcement agents evicted the Eccles Saving People Shelter which catered for homeless people who had fallen through the scheme's net.

Around a dozen agents arrived, complete with stab vests and dog handlers but most of the residents had already been moved out – to a new occupied building in Swinton.

Full details here...

A last minute legal appeal to stop the eviction of the Eccles Saving People Shelter failed yesterday, unbeknownst to the residents and supporters of the occupation; until around one dozen of the Sheriff's Office enforcement agents turned up at 10:45am this morning with two dog units and stab vests to take possession of the building at 169 Church Street. The Shelter was Greater Manchester's longest running unofficial homeless support centre.

"I think they did it a bit shadily; they just turned up mob handed and bald heads, and stab-proof jackets and dog units" said Stacey, a former resident at the Shelter who was present "We did well to get it from November until now, so the whole of the winter we've managed to save lives, not just 15 people because there was a rotation of 15 people.

"While there's been loads dying on the streets, we've saved the people we've had who have fallen through the net of housing" she added "We've saved lives, and even though it's sad to see it go, I'm proud of everyone, the volunteers and the local community people who have donated everything."

There were only three residents left in the building this morning, the others having already been moved to a new occupied building in Swinton, from where Jannah Speat and Angela Barratt of Salford Street Support, which has been supporting the residents, were defiant...

"Enforcement agents came this morning after the residents were told that the eviction hadn't actually gone through, so there were still residents in there who believed that and they are very upset now because they could have been safe here with us" Jannah explained.

"Our main task was to keep everyone safe and make sure they didn't have to go through an eviction but vulnerable people went through that eviction this morning when they didn't have to" she added "We will continue with these shelters as long as we have to, to get a secure, settled place for people who are falling through the net of A Bed Every Night and general shelters.

"Salford City Council have not offered suitable accommodation despite what they are saying; they have offered them Narrowgate which is not good for the residents we've got here" she explained "So we will continue to work until we do get what these people need; not what they want but what they need.

"The day that the eviction took place, Andy Burnham made a press statement about A Bed Every Night carrying on but all of a sudden, out of the blue from nowhere, we've heard that he now wants the building we are occupying. Apparently it has been emptied for this purpose but we know that the company that was running it failed its Quality Care Commission inspection."

And Angela Barratt added: "Here, everyone is warm, safe and settled. Everyone's been helping moving them in, as the eviction would have been too much for some of them. Now we're asking the general public who might donate money for A Bed Every Night to maybe consider donating to Street Support Salford to help us get a permanent building for Salford."*

"We found out at 11am today that the judge had rejected our appeal" Alec McFadden of Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre, which has also been helping residents, explained "Yesterday they said a decision hadn't been made but I was told this morning that the police had arrived with dogs. It would have been useful to know so we wouldn't have had this palaver."

"This is the end of the longest squat in Greater Manchester and I am disappointed that it occurred on the day A Bed Every Night has been extended for another twelve months" he added "I've been saying that this building could have been a part of that for £250,000 and it would have saved more lives."

The three residents who faced the eviction this morning have been offered alternative accommodation outside Salford but those who fled to the new occupied shelter face an uncertain future...

*To contact Salford Street Support for donations see the Facebook page – click here

See also A Bed Every Night Setting Us Up To Fail - click here

For a background to the Eccles Saving People Shelter see previous Salford Star articles  – click here and follow the links