Homeless ... and about to give birth

Young woman was walking streets before son was born

- HELENA VESTY

HOMELESS and heavily pregnant, a young woman walks the streets of Manchester with nowhere to go. Sobbing, she faces the very real possibility of sleeping rough days before her due date as darkness approaches.

The 22-year-old is desperate. Desperate to feel safe, desperate to bring her child into the world in comfort and warmth.

She was left without a home at the beginning of the month when the Fallowfield property she was living in was sold. The woman, at the time expecting her first child, said she told officials she would be without a place to stay in October.

For months she searched for a bed. Nothing. She was left sofa surfing for weeks.

Losing all hope, she resorted to trudging to Manchester Town Hall. She claims she was told there was nothing staff there could do to help in the immediacy, and was advised to wait until later in the day and call an out-of-hours helpline.

The woman told the Manchester Evening News she earlier sought the help of an organisation that advises people on 'housing solutions' in partnership with the council.