Andy Burnham’s ‘Manchesterism’ exposed as homelessness soars

Andy Burnham’s so-called “Manchesterism” has been called into question as the city has one of the highest homelessness rates in the country despite years of promises to tackle the crisis, according to a new report. The city has seen huge luxury apartment developments rise across the skyline in recent years, while housing pressures continue to grow for many residents.

Rows of glass skyscrapers now dominate parts of the city centre, with thousands of high-end flats built as Manchester continues to expand rapidly. At the same time, homelessness levels across Greater Manchester have continued to increase, with tens of thousands of people also remaining on housing waiting lists.

Questions have now been raised over how public-backed housing funding has been used across the region.

Writing in a Daily Mail report, special investigations editor Sue Reid shared concerns surrounding Mr Burnham’s housing record as he positions himself for a possible return to Westminster politics.

Her report focused heavily on Deansgate Square, the huge luxury apartment development in Manchester city centre made up of four residential towers. One of the towers is currently the tallest building outside London.

The development was supported through the Manchester Housing Investment Loans Fund, which was created using hundreds of millions of pounds in government funding to support building projects across the region.

Property developer Renaker reportedly received around £600million from the fund.

A recent Greater Manchester Combined Authority report found none of the 6,110 homes built by the company using the funding were classed as affordable housing.

Instead, the apartments were luxury developments, with some critics claiming many properties were bought by overseas investors before later being rented out at very high prices.

The report also disclosed growing homelessness figures across Greater Manchester.

According to housing charity Shelter, Manchester has the third-highest homelessness rate in the country after Birmingham and London.

One in 74 people across Manchester are reportedly without a permanent home, while homelessness levels in nearby Salford are even higher.

There is also growing pressure on social housing across the region. Around 24,000 council homes have reportedly been sold across Greater Manchester during the last 20 years.

By 2024, housing waiting lists across the region had risen to around 86,000 households.

Mr Burnham has repeatedly spoken about the housing crisis in Greater Manchester and has previously blamed Right to Buy sales for reducing social housing stock.

In a previous speech, he said continuing to sell social housing was like “trying to refill a bath without being allowed to put the plug back in”.

He has also called for the suspension of Right to Buy in areas facing severe housing shortages.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority said the housing fund used for developments such as Deansgate Square “was not created for affordable housing”.

A spokesperson said the lending criteria for the fund were based on rules set by the central government.

Manchester has undergone huge redevelopment over the last decade, with large parts of the city transformed by new residential towers, offices and commercial projects.

But the report argued that the scale of luxury development has come at the same time as worsening homelessness and growing affordability problems across the city region.

Some critics have also questioned Mr Burnham’s idea of “Manchesterism”, a phrase he has previously used to describe his vision for Greater Manchester based around fairness, opportunity and community-led growth.

The Express has reached out to Renaker and Greater Manchester Combined Authority for a comment.