Safeguard A Bed Every Night for World Homeless Day

As policy changes risk increases in homelessness and rough sleeping, show your support for A Bed Every Night on World Homeless Day. 

Figures recently released by the British Red Cross quantify what has been a source of growing unease in the sector. As the Home Office ramps up efforts to clear a backlog of more than 60,000 asylum cases by the end of this year, charities have condemned the approach, arguing this puts as many as 50,000 refugees at risk of homelessness. 

Asylum-seekers arriving in the UK move into state-provided accommodation while they await the outcome of their asylum application. But while news of a successful application should bring relief, changes to the move-on period for newly recognised refugees have introduced needless hardship and strain. 

To help speed up clearing the backlog of asylum claims, newly recognised refugees are being given as little as 7 days’ notice to leave state-provided accommodation. For local authorities already struggling to place people at risk of homelessness, and for the VCSE sector shoring up gaps in the system, the added pressure is not only significant, but also entirely unnecessary. 

Newly recognised refugees require key documents to evidence their entitlement to access the welfare system, open a bank account, apply for work and, crucially, secure housing. But the count-down for when these groups must leave state-provided support does not begin with the arrival of those crucial documents. It begins from notification of a successful application. 

Government policy in the Homelessness Reduction Act already recognises that it can take up to 56 days to secure suitable housing and support for people at risk of homelessness, with a built-in 35-day delay for any new application for Universal Credit. Why then are people who have faced unimaginable trauma and in need of support given a timeframe of less than 28 days? 

The consequences of this push to clear the asylum backlog will be bleak, and evidence already suggests that the changes are causing a rise in the numbers of people rough sleeping. These rises follow hard on the heels of a national creeping up of the numbers despite the government intention to end rough sleeping for good. 

For people facing a night on the streets in Greater Manchester, however, there is a glimmer of light. A Bed Every Night is the pioneering scheme to support people rough sleeping, offering a bed, warmth, food, and the vital wrap around support needed to help move onto more stable accommodation. 

Uniquely in Greater Manchester, because of the funding the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity brings, this scheme is also accessible to people legally deemed to have no recourse to public funds. While the policy changes in the Home Office will risk increases in homelessness and rough sleeping, the safety net offered by A Bed Every Night gives hope. 

Today, on World Homeless Day 2023, help us continue to keep this universal, unrivalled, pioneering scheme supporting people who need it the most. 

Just £30 will cover a bed for the night, food, and wrap around support. It is the lifeline that can change lives. 

Homelessness has no place here in Greater Manchester. 

Donate today and know that your money will help tackle homelessness across our city-region for a fairer and more sustainable future.