Last week, homeless people who were evicted from the 169 Church Street Eccles Saving People Shelter* occupied an old empty nursing home owned by Trafford Housing Trust.
While some of the Eccles Shelter homeless people were given housing, nine people who weren't housed are currently staying at the new shelter. They include 65 year old Salford man, Phil, who has been homeless for around eight years...
"I'm not a bum, I've have worked all my life but some of the places I've slept in are ridiculous; horrible with rats the size of kangaroos" he recalls "I've not got a clue why I've not been re-housed. They send you here and send you there but nobody's there to help me. I'm just sitting here. We're pennyless with nowhere to go, nowhere to sleep and nothing to do. It's just existing."
Phil lost his driving licence, passport and bus pass when he got mugged in a churchyard of all places, and says that, at his age, he feels extremely vulnerable, with no help or support apart from the volunteers from Salford Street Support, who are co-ordinating community donations of food and clothing, and working with agencies to try and re-house the residents.
"It's nice to have the support, they do a good job" he says "Us lot are just here because we don't know where to go or what to do. The girls have been very good. We're decent people, trying to make a community but we're not given a chance. There's hundreds of buildings and offices with no-one in them, and as long as we're not doing any damage we're not doing any harm."
Another resident, Dwain, has been homeless for six months. He was living in a tent in Altrincham and hostels before finding his way to the Eccles and Swinton shelters.
"In the hostels I had to knock on the door of the office just to use the toilet, and you had to be at 8pm and out by 7am" he explains "In Eccles they said they would re-house me but there's been nothing as yet. They're building loads of houses and flats, enough to re-house homeless people, but it's false hope. And while I can agree with the A Bed Every Night scheme to a certain extent, you can't put people with mental health problems and such in that situation. I wouldn't go in one myself because I'd feel vulnerable. I just want my own place, it's not too much to ask for. Just give me a flat I'll look after it."
Trafford Housing Trust, which owns the property about half a mile away from Salford Civic Centre, is mulling over an eviction...
"The last thing we want is for people to be left without a place to stay" a Trust spokesperson states "However, we do also have genuine concern for the safety of those in the building.
"Our housing team has met with the squatters to provide advice and information regarding access to housing and benefits" they add "Two squatters from the site accepted the offer of assistance and have left the site. We plan another visit to re-iterate the offer of help and also, to provide written advice.
"As a profit-for-purpose housing association, we are investing significant amounts to get homeless people off the street through the GMCA's Social Impact Bond and the A Bed Every Night scheme" they explain "We work hard to ensure that we provide advice on benefits, debt, mental health and substance abuse so that people have the help they need to find and stay in a home."
Meanwhile, Angela Barrrat and Jannah Speat, from Salford Street Support, are supporting the residents until all of them are re-housed...
"We are working with Salford City Council support services, other groups and charities, and other squats, just trying to carry on our fight against homelessness" they say "We are supporting the residents, many of whom fall through the net of housing criteria, and due to mental health issues and more can't sustain housing without support once they are in the housing.
"We're trying to keep everyone safe and fed; and the public are helping, for which we are thankful" they add "We are quite happy to walk away, as long as they house everybody in this building. We're not here to sort people's needs, we're here to help people as grass roots support workers and all we want is what's best for everybody.
"Trafford Housing should work with the support staff as well as the residents because we've been around these people for six months and we know everything about them and their support needs" they explain "All we want is the best outcome for everyone, everyone housed.
"They could turn this into a homeless shelter, it's secluded and there's no reason not to" they say "We feel that all authorities involved with homelessness, not just Trafford Housing, need to work with grass roots support workers or they will never end homelessness."
* For more background see previous Salford Star article - Eccles Saving People Shelter Evicted - click here
Update: 14th May - Trafford Housing Trust Serves Possession Order on Swinton Shelter - click here
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