Manchester’s Homeless Express Survival Fears Amidst Freezing Temperatures

Homeless individuals in Manchester city centre have expressed concerns that council assistance is not universally accessible, particularly as they contend with the severe cold of the recent big freeze. The charity Don’t Walk Past, which assists the homeless, reported engaging with 27 rough sleepers during Tuesday night and 22 on Wednesday, periods when temperatures dropped to -5C. Manchester City Council has stated its intention to intensify efforts to provide indoor warm spaces for homeless individuals. However, Christopher Edge, who sleeps rough near a Greggs store on St Mary’s Gate, indicated that he has not encountered any council representatives on the streets providing aid or direction. “I’ve put myself here in a position where I can’t be missed, but because I’m at the bottom end of the town trying to stay away from what goes on at the top end – all the drugs – it’s like I’ve just been forgotten about. It’s disgusting,” he stated. Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, Mr Edge remarked: “I’ve got a sleeping bag there but it’s not fit for purpose. It’s like a paper bag. I’m scared to go to sleep because I fear that I won’t wake up in the morning and there’s a lot of other homeless feeling the same way.” The 56-year-old Manchester resident emphasized the necessity for increased assistance. He further commented: “I’ve been out here two years and I’ve not felt temperatures like this in a long time. People are going to die in doorways and that’s the reality of it. It’s sad,” he added. Ronny English, who founded Don’t Walk Past, acknowledged seeing two council employees working overnight on a single occasion, but expressed concern that their pace of work is insufficient. He questioned: “We’ve had three nights of freezing temperatures. Why are we still finding rough sleepers on the streets?” Mr English reported that a minimum of twelve homeless individuals informed him they had not received aid from the council. He proceeded: “We’ve been doing this for seven years and we’ve seen some terrible things, but when you go over to someone in these temperatures and they can’t speak because of the cold, it’s heartbreaking.” He added: “Last night there was an ex-soldier, 60-years-old, and like others, he was terrified of going to sleep.” Mayor Andy Burnham stated that his A Bed Every Night initiative, established in 2018 to assist rough sleepers in Greater Manchester, provided support to 600 individuals on Tuesday night. He maintained that his colleagues were present on the streets. He commented: “Can we always get everyone who needs it, in it? Well no, because the numbers just keep increasing.” He continued: “There is a street engagement team and they are very familiar with the people who are out there needing support. They know the places where people are likely to go.“ He concluded: “The idea that we’re remote from this, well it’s just not the case. We are completely on top of these issues.” Following the mayor’s offer to assist Mr Edge in securing accommodation within the coming days if his whereabouts could be determined, BBC Radio Manchester provided Mr Edge’s information to Mr Burnham’s team. For additional content, listeners can access the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can also be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and via Whatsapp at 0808 100 2230. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their external linking policy is available.