Manchester City Council is exploring the idea of opening up empty public buildings to the homeless.
The council is looking at a range of new measures to tackle homelessness in the city including allowing rough sleepers to legally sleep in public buildings overnight. The council will be conducted a survey of available buildings and will look at how other cities have achieved this.
Cllr Paul Andrews, executive member for adult health and wellbeing for Manchester City Council, said: ‘A team of officers from across the council are actively looking at potential buildings to increase capacity for evening and overnight accommodation so that no one has to sleep outside during winter months.
‘This includes a survey of council-owned buildings which might be appropriate for this purpose and we will be working with our voluntary and community sector partners to develop this offer and ensure that such accommodation is safe, well managed and effective.
‘We are also exploring potential opportunities to work with private sector building owners. Buildings will be opened as soon as reasonably possible.’
The council is also planning on writing to the three political parties calling for the housing element of Universal Credit to be paid directly to landlords to help reduce rent arrears.
