Families struggling to get by in city's trendy apartments

Cost of living crisis is bringing extra pressures for those with children

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SIX months ago, the M.E.N. detailed the growing trend of couples starting families in the city centre – and choosing to raise their children in town.

At the time, the four families we spoke to listed a lack of schools in town, especially for secondary school age pupils, and a dearth of green space as the main issues facing parents living in the city centre.

However, in the intervening months, one issue has overtaken them all.

It is, as you’d expect, the cost of living. Two families featured in July 2022 agreed to speak about how they are coping in a tough winter.

“I don’t know where to start,” Agnieszka, 43, sighed. She has a toddler son and a five-year-old daughter. With her partner, the four share a one-bedroom apartment in New Islington.