A pioneering collaboration between the housing sector, social sector and social investors will deliver a new programme to tackle rough sleeping across Greater Manchester, as part of a £1.8m Government-backed outcomes contract.

The GM Homes Partnership – a consortium put together by One Manchester and Trafford Housing Trust, two Greater Manchester-based housing providers, and Bridges Fund Management – will help up to 200 of the city’s most entrenched rough sleepers off the streets and support them in building a new life over a three-year period. It aims to provide the wrap-around support needed to enable individuals to sustain a tenancy in one of 270 homes to be made available by 15 Greater Manchester housing providers and two private rented sector partners – with charities Shelter, Great Places and The Brick ensuring individuals receive the intensive emotional and practical support they need to access appropriate health, training and employment services.

While there have been periods of significant reductions in homelessness over the years, the issue of entrenched rough sleeping – defined for the purposes of this programme as individuals who have slept rough at least six times in the past two years and/or are well known to homelessness services – has never been fully addressed.

Bridges has agreed to fund the up-front costs of the programme via its Social Impact Bond Fund, the world’s first fund dedicated to investing in outcomes-based contracts, while the Department for Communities and Local Government has committed to pay for any successful outcomes achieved. With a total contract size of up to £1.8m, this project will be the largest of the DCLG-backed ‘Entrenched Rough Sleeping’ SIBs, and the largest Government commitment to any homelessness programme outside London.

Dave Power, group chief executive of One Manchester, said: “I know I’m not alone in being shocked to see the numbers of people sleeping rough rising in Manchester, so we absolutely must pull together to address this.  Our ultimate aim is to ensure people who have found themselves back on the street time and again have the chance to start a new life in the right kind of home with the right support.

“This funding enables us to do this by responding to the individual circumstances which lead people to a life of sleeping rough. This is a hugely important initiative and we are ready to take action, now. Thanks to this collaborative approach we have an opportunity to make a real and lasting difference to people’s lives by providing the right kind of tailored support.”

Andrew Levitt, Partner and Head of Social Impact Bonds at Bridges, said: “Outcomes-based contracts are the best way to work with this very vulnerable group, because they give charities the freedom to take a very flexible approach – tailoring their support to the individual’s abilities and needs, as well as the changing dynamics of the local housing market. We’re passionate about this programme and the impact it can have in changing the lives of rough sleepers.”

John Ryan, who runs Shelter’s Manchester hub, said: “The Greater Manchester Homes Partnership is a great opportunity for us to work collaboratively with a range of partners to reach even more people across the city who urgently need our support. The partnership will help end the devastating scourge of street homelessness, which is one of the Mayor’s priorities, and we are delighted to be part of it.”

The programme is part of a wider approach to tackling homelessness in the region, which Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, has pledged to eradicate. For more information about this click here.

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The GM (Greater Manchester) Homes Partnership is made up of the following organisations:

Social Investors – One Manchester, Trafford Housing Trust, Bridges Fund Management

Delivery Partners – Shelter, Great Places, The Brick

Housing Partners – Bolton at Home, First Choice Homes Oldham, ForViva, Great Places, MSV, New Charter Group, Northwards Housing, One Manchester, RBH, Salix Homes, Salix Living, Stockport Homes, The Bond Board, The Regenda Group, Trafford Housing Trust, Wigan Council

About One Manchester

One Manchester is a provider of housing and community services. Formed in April 2015 from an historic merger between two of Manchester’s largest housing associations – City South and Eastlands Homes, we currently own and manage more than 12,000 homes in central, south and east Manchester.

As an experienced and trustworthy landlord, we provide good quality homes that are safe, secure, warm and affordable, and we are proud to be known as a housing association. However, we believe that our responsibilities go much further than providing homes. Our view is that housing associations are all about place-making. We regularly look at the issues which go beyond housing and especially those that are specific to each of our communities. We help people manage their money, find work, start-up businesses and stay healthy and well.

About Trafford Housing Trust

Trafford Housing Trust is a ‘Profit for Purpose’ business, with a vision of striving for a society transformed, free from poverty, inequality and injustice. We are the leading provider of affordable housing in Trafford and provide a home to over 18,500 people. With ambitious plans to build 2000 new homes by 2020 we are one of the largest developers of new homes in the Trafford area.

About Bridges Fund Management

Bridges Fund Management is a specialist fund manager focused exclusively on sustainable and impact investment. Since 2002, the firm has raised over £900m to invest in SMEs, properties and social sector organisations that are helping to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges, with a focus on four themes: health & well-being, education & skills, sustainable living and underserved markets. It has previously supported six other programmes designed to address or prevent homelessness via a social impact bond structure.