A Bed Every Night (ABEN) Phase 5

Overview

ABEN was established in 2018 offering "no second night out" access to accommodation for individuals who are currently rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping in Greater Manchester. In Oldham, the local authority receives grant funding from GMCA to provide 23 (including one emergency bed) bed spaces, and a further 6 spaces for individuals with no recourse to public funds. ABEN has now been operating for over 5 years and remains a central pillar and safety net for people experiencing, or at risk of, rough sleeping. Since 2022, the landscape for homelessness, rough sleeping and poverty has changed considerably across borough: • Record high numbers of individuals approaching the Local Authority for support due to being at risk of homelessness. • Record numbers of households in Temporary Accommodation (over 698 at any one point in time) • Sustained increases in the number of people seen rough sleeping on a single night • Sustained increases in the number of people receiving a Section 21, no-fault eviction. • A changing migration/asylum landscape, with the accelerated asylum decision-making process creating additional rough sleeping pressures across all 12 boroughs.