Council under fire after figures show a rise in homeless

SALFORD council has come under fire over claims that it is not doing enough to tackle homelessness.

- DECLAN CASEY

It comes as a new report found homelessness cases in the city are on the up, with 1,900 cases of people homeless in Salford in 2021 rising to 3,000 last year.

Salford Mayor Paul Dennett blamed the previous Conservative government for causing homelessness to increase, through its accelerated asylum scheme.

He said this led to asylum seekers being evicted from funded accommodation and left without anywhere to stay, alongside a "housing crisis" affecting the city.

Mr Dennett, responsible for homelessness at a Greater Manchester level as part of his role as a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, has also been critical of government austerity and cuts to the council's budget, claiming this was to the tune of £245 million under the Conservatives.