Early prevention is a key part of the work.
The council has a strategy to help keep people off the streets in Salford (Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
A new report has lifted the lid on homelessness in Salford, with the council saying its plan to keep people off the streets is working.
The document showed that homeless prevention cases are growing, with 1,590 opened in the last 12 months, up from 1,487 in 2023/24.
It is part of Salford council’s plan to help people before they end up in desperate situations, with a focus on early homelessness intervention.
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The report stated: “This shows that more people are approaching for help/being referred at an earlier stage when homelessness is threatened rather than later when they are already homeless.
“This is indicative of an improved awareness around homelessness prevention and the need to act early is proving effective.”
The overall aim of the work is to stop homelessness wherever possible and put an end to rough sleeping in the city.
Salford mayor Paul Dennett previously declared a housing and homelessness ‘crisis’ after a spike in the number of people struggling to find a home.
Salford mayor Paul Dennett leads on housing at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (Image: Kenny Brown / MEN)
In March, it was revealed that increasing numbers of families in Salford were facing becoming homeless.
Figures from Salford council from March 5 revealed 1,146 children in the borough were living in temporary accommodation, a jump from a previous total of 329 in April 2021.
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A report showed more than 7,000 people had sought housing support from the council to date in 2024/25 after losing their settled accommodation, leading to more than 2,000 active homelessness cases at the time.
The council’s plan to keep people off the streets includes talks with private and social housing landlords where tenants may be at risk of becoming homeless, as well as working with schools and GPs to identify housing concerns early on.
Coun Bob Clarke, leader of the Conservative opposition at Salford council, said there are ‘a range of contributing factors’ causing homelessness in the city.
“The persistent shortage of affordable rental housing, coupled with growing demand, has significantly worsened the situation,” he said.
“In retrospect, the council’s strategy of gentrifying large parts of Salford and prioritising the construction of high-cost tower block apartments, rather than genuinely affordable homes, has exacerbated the housing crisis.”
A council spokesperson said the number of affordable homes being built in Salford is rising.
“Salford has seen great success in delivering new affordable housing – building 525 new affordable homes in 2024/25, out of a total of 2,759 completions,” they said. “That’s a 56 per cent increase on 2023/24.”
“Providing genuinely affordable homes is an absolute priority for the city council and we will continue with our plans to ramp up the number of these while also ensuring our developments meet net zero standards.”