Manchester is at the sharp end of the national rise in homelessness. Across Greater Manchester, 5,564 people are homeless – 1,804 of these individuals are in the City of Manchester alone. It is worth remembering that this figure does not reflect the ‘hidden homeless’, those who sofa surf through friends and family. Greater Manchester is also considered to be an eviction and repossession hotspot. This problem is highest in Manchester and Salford, with approximately 1 in 62 households are at risk of repossession or eviction.

There is a growing divide between classes in Manchester. A quick gaze over the landscape shows luxury apartment blocks and multinational office space occupying almost the entirety of the construction sector. And down on the streets beneath these glass towers, people sleep in doorways, on benches and under flyovers. Whilst foreign money and overseas investment has indeed given the city a new lease of life, this has come at the expense of the lower social classes. These are the losers of gentrification, and if things don’t change soon, there are many more to come.

Manchester's spiralling homeless crisis is showing no signs of slowing down - with around 50 people PER DAY coming to the council for help. The situation is so bad that the authority is rapidly running out of emergency accommodation in hotels and B&Bs. Because of this, day services and outreach centres like SPIN are becoming heavily relied upon.

WEEK 1

Week 1 is all understanding homelessness from the inside out, speaking to charities, external speakers and residents of the Supporting People In Need hostel. Homelessness is an issue across the country, though is particularly prevalent here in Manchester. We hear a lot about it, though by speaking with those involved we can understand the difficulties of sleeping rough and look at what charities are doing to curb homelessness.

Building upon the knowledge and understanding gained, we will host a design competition within the Event where the winning design will be taken forward the following week. The design competition will be held at the collaborator’s premises where we are encouraging the community to get involved in the presentations and the voting. By the end of this week you will have engaged with multiple charities and beneficiaries, produced designs and models for a proposed quiet space, and gained inside perspectives on a wide social issue.

WEEK 2

The second week will be fast-paced. You will have the opportunity to decide which skills you would like to further, whether you enjoy drawing, creating models or curating graphic designs or publications. The winning design will be thought out and drawn up in detail through the form of 1:5 models and working plans, sections and elevations. The construction manual produced will be given to the client so their residents can learn to construct the small space themselves. A final presentation will be a celebration of everyones hard work in creating a great proposal. Ultimately, you will be able to provide your expertise to a worthy cause where your designs and skills will make a real difference.

CORONAVIRUS AND HOMELESSNESS

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has posed many questions and provided uncertainty for the vulnerable and at risk. Where do the homeless fit into this? Are we equipped to provide safe shelter for rough sleepers who could potentially have been infected? New laws are reportedly giving the police the power to arrest anyone with the virus not self-isolating indoors, though there is a lack of sympathy for those without a place to stay. Communities and charities are doing all they can to help the homeless, though, should the authorities be put into question? It is times like these that highlight the vulnerability and apparent segregation of those without a bed.