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The Greater Manchester Homelessness Action Network (GMHAN) is a collaboration of everyone working to end and prevent homelessness in Greater Manchester. It brings together all the different sectors, specialisms and experiences which are involved in achieving this mission, recognising that we can achieve more through collaboration and partnership Earlier this year the Network set up three Task Groups around the core purposes which will help us to reduce homelessness: Learn, Lo

We are very pleased to be getting back together in person for the first time in over two years. We’ve managed to get a lot done in two years of working online, including supporting the successful implementation of the ‘Everyone In’ emergency accommodation, how we could Build Back Better as a City Region and the first Homelessness Prevention Strategy & Action Plan for Greater Manchester. However, we’re really glad to be able to meet physically and hope you can attend to join

The Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme (RSAP) was introduced in 2020 by the Government to support 6000 rough sleepers into long term accommodation. The programme provided capital funding to deliver additional move-on properties for individuals who experienced rough sleeping and revenue to provide support to the move-on properties. This contract is to deliver the support element to the properties acquired by the GMCA on behalf of Greater Manchester’s accommodation delivery

There has been a steep rise in the number of homeless deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, and only a small portion seem to be due to the virus itself. It is especially worrying that the numbers have risen at a time when the ‘Everyone In’ policy was in place to house rough sleepers National partners including Shelter, the GM Law Centre and Museum of Homelessness have come together to produce a a short guide to the inquest process for bereaved families whose loved ones have di

The Network is pleased to share the confirmed Homelessness Prevention Strategy for the city region. Thank you to everyone who contributed, from the original Legislative Theatre workshops that kicked off the process, through the full HAN Network events, thematic consultations and individual contributions along the way. The final Strategy is a reflection of the multiple perspectives on homelessness which have helped co-produce it, and we believe is stronger for it. Alongside th

Back in January, 22 people ranging from frontline staff, GMCA officers, experts and people with lived experience attended and participated in the GMHAN Prison and Resettlement Open space meeting. The meeting had been requested to explore and discuss the challenges and issues connecting homelessness with prison releases and resettlement. To ensure this topic was kept at the forefront of people’s minds, Rob Rowe, Service Manager at The Sanctuary Trust shared some of the challen

Join us between 10th June – 18th June for your opportunity to be part of GMHAN consultation events on the latest draft of the Greater Manchester Homelessness Prevention Strategy. Book your place for our consultation sessions using this link. Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping is a key priority for GMCA and organisations across Greater Manchester as well as GMHAN Network. These sessions will focus on Housing, Transitions, Participation & Involvement, People & Equalities

GMHAN Full Network Event – Reflection from Robbie Cowbury from Action Together (Action Together support the community and voluntary sector in Rochdale, Oldham and Tameside) A Homelessness Prevention Strategy to cover all of Greater Manchester has been an ambition of the Homelessness Action Network for long before the pandemic. It’s a fundamental part of why we exist: to take ‘action’ on homelessness is not merely to limit the results of a broken system which leaves people ho

On Tuesday 9th March 2021 the Homelessness Action Network held an learning event to reflect on people’s experiences of ABEN (A Bed for Every Night) provision in Greater Manchester. Creative Inclusion were commissioned to write a report which brings together different perspectives on how Greater Manchester can respond as a whole system to improve the experiences of people accessing ABEN. In early 2020 our organisation had conducted some peer research into people’s experiences,

On Tuesday 12th January, 22 people ranging from frontline staff, GMCA officers, experts, people with lived experience attended and participated in the GMHAN Prison and Resettlement Open space meeting. The meeting had been requested during GMHAN Full Network event on 25th November to explore and discuss the challenges and issues connecting homelessness with prison releases and resettlement. David Sutherland, Chair of Bury Homeless Partnership and an active member of GMHAN, fa

On Wednesday 9th December, we hosted #GMLegislativeTheatre event on Funding & Commissioning. We explored some structural barriers and ideas when it comes to funding. Thank you for all your comments and engagement on social media. You can check them out #GMlegislativetheatre, and also see some of the reflection from our team member Matthew Kidd who ask ‘How do we invest more meaningful relationships with our communities rather than just wheeling them in and out at convenient

With one week to go till the second event in the GM Legislative Theatre / Homelessness Prevention Strategy process, the facilitation team is working hard and staying flexible, as we’ve all had to do throughout 2020. In the beginning of November, we set out to create a second play with a new cast of GM residents impacted by homelessness and housing insecurity as well as front-line staff: this play is meant to focus on the funding and commissioning process for homeless services

On Thursday 12th November, 65 people ranging from frontline staff, GMCA officers, elected officials and reps from communities of identity attended and participated in the Private Rented Sector Eviction Prevention Event. The Event had been organised to raise awareness of the current ‘risk of homelessness’ threat in Greater Manchester amongst frontline teams working in the community and give them the confidence to identify and refer people to the most appropriate support and ad

On Wednesday 30th September, 112 people from frontline support staff, GMCA officers and elected officials, advocates and neighbours to people with experience of homelessness attended and participated in the first Greater Manchester Legislative Theatre on Multiple Disadvantage. It was an interactive on-line event where community members worked together with policymakers to generate, debate and negotiate innovative policy around the issue and to feedback a co-produced Homelessn

This week Shared Health Foundation have released a call to action for Greater Manchester’s Local Authorities, Health and Social Care Partnership, GMCA and political leaders. There is an absence of discussion and detail about the impact of Covid-19 on families who are homeless. We are gravely concerned about this ‘hidden homeless’ population, for whom the pandemic has made invisible. We are calling for: Homeless children to be given the same health and education rights as chil

As we stand in this time of ongoing uncertainty, with amazing work being done to respond to people’s individual needs with great care and ingenuity, and hotels closing and support services struggling to survive, we are more determined than ever that ‘Build back better’ means something tangible and real and towards the kind of region we want to see. Over the course of two weeks in May, GMHAN worked through a series of online discussions, email consultation and the Lockdown Liv

Last week we hosted 2 online events on zoom for Greater Manchester Homelessness Action Network (GMHAN) asking 2 key questions and hearing back from different perspectives. We don’t believe our current various complex issues can be solved without including these different perspectives and finding ways ahead that work for all. As positive news lands of Government commitment to making available 6000 new supported homes for people experiencing homelessness, here’s some of what th

Dear colleagues, We find ourselves in another lockdown with a continuation of extremely challenging circumstances to both work in and to support others. We are expecting further announcements on the extension of the evictions ban and potential further guidance on managing infection prevention and control measures with the new variant in homelessness services. At this point, there is no expectation that a nationally funded programme akin to ‘Everyone In’ will be revived. Ho

See below for key information and updates from GMHAN including information about the next round of the GM Mayor’s charity funding, GMHAN co-design calls for integrating feedback from frontline services, update on the donation distribution process, and sharing positive news. Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is making an open call for applications for unrestricted funding (including core running costs) up to a maximum of £10,000 per orga

LockdownLIVEs is a new documentary project created by and for Greater Manchester residents who are currently homeless during this pandemic. People who are self-isolating in emergency accommodation or living in any kind of temporary accommodation have been invited to submit short videos, poems, drawings, and photos about what life is like for them right now. How does LockdownLIVEs work? People who are in emergency accommodation or any other kind of temporary accommodation will