Nearly £5m will be spent relaunching a scheme helping get Greater Manchester’s rough sleepers off the streets to provide safer accommodation during the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 3,000 people have been helped into emergency housing through A Bed Every Night (ABEN) since it was launched by mayor Andy Burnham in 2018.
But since the pandemic was declared in March, regional leaders have focused instead on getting everyone off the street and into hotels as part of the government’s ‘Everyone In’ policy.
Mr Burnham now plans to rebuild ABEN’s accommodation from July to operate in ‘Covid-safe’ conditions through infection control, while also easing the pressure on hotels.