Homelessness is real. Raising awareness in society is vital. // Working in conjunction with WOAH and Cornerstone, a day centre supporting vulnerable adults, this project will look into the causes and implications of urban homelessness and, over a two week workshop in May, develop creative proposals for the redevelopment of the Cornerstone centre whilst exploring and discussing new ways to tackle homelessness through systemic change and direct action. // It is estimated that over a quarter of a million people are homeless right now in the UK. Over the last 10 years this figure has been consistently rising, aggravated by austerity driven cuts to local services and now further by the Covid-19 pandemic. Individuals in such situations are often left behind by society and struggle to reintegrate; they become forgotten citizens. // It is a significant and continuing problem and Manchester is considerably affected by the issue; rough sleepers can be seen throughout the city, though these people are the tip of the iceberg- approximately 1 in every 102 people in the city are classed as homeless, spanning a wide range of circumstances, often categorised into ‘chronic’, ‘episodic’ and ‘transitional’ in addition to ‘hidden’, which Crisis has estimated makes up to 62% of the figures. // Despite this, local and national authority continues to fail to address the problem in an effective and enduring manner, with most policies acting simply as stop-gaps and charities increasingly relied upon to combat poverty. //
Sing Hong C / Jake G / Tom C
