The number of pleas for help made to North West councils by people on the brink of homelessness has almost doubled over the last five years.
Councils across the North West – Greater Manchester authorities included – have received over 31,000 desperate appeals from people on the brink of homelessness in the last year, research has revealed.
The figures published by Shelter have also revealed that 3,600 households in the region were made officially homeless in 2015.
The analysis, based on government statistics, has found that the number of requests made to councils has risen by an astonishing 96% over the last five years.
However, the findings sadly come as no surprise to homeless charity Shelter, whose North West advisers have dealt with more than 40,300 calls in the last twelve months.
And, shockingly, 20% of these calls came from people who were faced with losing their home within a month or less.
Shelter’s Chief Executive Campbell Robb said: “It’s truly devastating to hear that so many people – including families with children – are teetering on the brink of homelessness.
“It’s heart-breaking to imagine one child waking up homeless and in unstable temporary accommodation on Christmas morning, yet we know that over 100,000 children across the country are facing exactly that fate.”
Mr Robb and the team at Shelter are calling on the public for urgent support – with the regional crisis only set to worsen as Christmas approaches.
“Sadly, the combination of our affordable housing shortage and cuts to welfare means that more and more parents are finding themselves struggling to keep a stable roof over their children’s heads,” he said.
“That’s why we desperately need the public’s support this Christmas, to help us be there so that no family has to fight homelessness on their own.”
To support Shelter’s emergency Christmas appeal click here or text SHELTER to 70060 to donate £3.
Image courtesy of Jacob Riis, via Wikipedia, with thanks
