A block of flats in Wythenshawe is set to become the latest property to be repurposed to provide temporary accommodation for homeless families.
The property in Greenwood Road, Woodhouse Park, has been acquired by the Council from registered housing provider Mosscare St Vincent’s as part of wider plans to boost the city’s stock of publicly-owned, quality temporary accommodation.
Work is due to start this summer, and be completed in December this year, to refurbish the property as 17 self-contained flats for homeless families from Wythenshawe and south Manchester.
All flats will be refurbished, including new kitchens and bathrooms in each case. Two new laundry rooms for shared use will also be created, and gardens to the rear will have raised bedding for residents’ use.
The new accommodation will see families supported by an accommodation team based on site to help them move on as quickly as possible into permanent settled tenancies.
The Greenwood Road initiative is the latest example of the Council’s drive to increase its temporary accommodation stock across the city to reduce the number of out-of-area placements, helping people who become homeless to stay closer to their previous homes and support networks.
Other recent examples include plans brought forward to create temporary accommodation for more than 50 homeless families in Chorlton on the site of derelict former office block Mauldeth House (subject to planning permission) and an application to transform the former Alexandra Park housing office into accommodation for 20 people currently experiencing homelessness.
Deputy Leader Cllr Tracey Rawlins said: "We identified that Manchester needed more temporary accommodation, and more Council-owned accommodation at that, and that’s what we’re delivering.
“We’re doing a lot to support people so that they don’t become homeless in the first place. But we’re also determined to increase our stock of quality temporary accommodation -especially in Wythenshawe and south Manchester where there has been a particular shortage – to prevent people who do end up experiencing homelessness from being uprooted from their social support networks.
“Imaginative use of existing properties, as in the case of the Greenwood Road flats, is part of the answer.
“It’s also important that where people do find themselves in temporary accommodation, they are supported to find permanent settled homes and be tenancy-ready. We are providing this support.”