Calls have been made to do more to help Bolton's rough sleepers, the numbers of which have increased, according to latest figures.

The latest rough sleeping snapshot, published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recorded an increase in the number of people sleeping rough on a single night in Bolton, up from two people in 2022 to five in 2023.

Other figures published by the Government, comparing April 2022 to March 2023 to the same period the previous year, show Bolton Council experienced the highest increase in the number of households seeking help for homelessness out of all ten local authority areas in Greater Manchester.

The number of people seen sleeping rough in Greater Manchester on a single night remains 44 per cent below the peak in 2017.

However, the snapshot figures have risen significantly, in line with a national increase and despite widespread evidence of what works to prevent homelessness.

Data shows that 55 per cent of people seen over the course of December 2023 in Greater Manchester were new to the streets.

In addition, 38 per cent of individuals identified as newly experiencing rough sleeping in the Greater Manchester region, had been deemed to have left ‘an institution’ within 86 days - predominantly Home Office accommodation - rising from eight per cent in June 2023.

Manchester recorded the highest number of people sleeping rough on a single night with a count of 48 people out of the ten council areas in Greater Manchester, followed by Stockport, where there was an estimate of 25 people, and Bolton reported the third lowest number with five.

In total the snapshot recorded 3,898 people rough sleeping in England, up 27 per cent from the previous year.  

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “Our first priority is to help prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place, and we always urge anyone facing the prospect of losing their home to get in touch with us.

“Broader systemic pressure on housing is having a significant impact, particularly on those with multiple complex needs who are at most risk of rough sleeping.

“One person sleeping rough is one too many, and we work with a range of external partners to tackle rough sleeping, prevent it from happening, and support those affected.”

Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton South East said: “The new homelessness statistics for the period July to September 2023 are shocking but not surprising.

“I see every week at my advice surgeries that Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions have gone up and landlords are selling or wishing to move tenants on to put up rents.

“This is seen in the new statistics, with a tiny number of private rented tenants have been evicted because of rent arrears but a huge number (101) people have been evicted because the landlord want to sell up.

“We need a ban on Section 21 urgently, as well as wider reform in the private rental sector.

“The Government promised a ban in their 2019 manifesto but have failed to deliver.

“The scales are balanced far too much in the favour of private landlords.

“It is not about punishing private landlords but ensuring that they provide long term security for tenants in good quality homes.”

Homelessness charity, Emmaus Bolton said these new figures ‘do not show full picture’ of homelessness in Bolton.

Tony Stephenson, Director of homelessness charity Emmaus Bolton, said: “Any one person forced into rough sleeping is tragic.

“While we recognise the importance of logging people who are street homeless, we must note that these figures are only an estimate of the number of people sleeping rough in Bolton on a single night.

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“These numbers do not show ‘hidden homelessness’: people living in hostels or shelters, sofa surfers, people in campsites or other places.

“Most of all, they do not tell the stories behind why people have been forced into homelessness in the first place.

“When we think about all forms of homelessness, we know the number is much higher.

“Councils are facing increasing pressure on services amid a climate of mounting cutbacks.

“This can mean charities, like Emmaus Bolton, stepping in to help people who are homeless, with accommodation or meals from our food bank, Lucie’s Pantry.

“The government must do more, which is why Emmaus UK has joined 36 other leading homelessness charities in an open letter to call on the Chancellor to urgently address the dire financial situation facing homelessness services.”

Greater Manchester leaders are calling on Government to pause evictions from asylum accommodation until capacity in the homelessness system recovers, and for targeted investment to support local services in the areas most affected by the decisions.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “We have a clear mission in Greater Manchester: to build a coalition across the city-region to prevent and end homelessness and rough sleeping for the long term.

“Every night spent on the street is a night too many, and I’m pleased to see our approach to tackling long-term rough sleeping is paying dividends.

“We have known for months that the unsustainable pace at which people are receiving asylum decisions and being evicted from Home Office accommodation is contributing to rising rough sleeping across the UK and placing pressure on local services, far beyond our control.

“The impact of those choices, coupled with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and the squeeze on local budgets, is borne out in the figures we see today.

“That’s why we are calling on the government to pause evictions and invest in a proper programme of prevention and integration.

“We urgently need to move away from this dysfunctional system to the kind of collaborative approach that we know can help us end rough sleeping once and for all.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on X @chloewjourno.