Ways to take action – September policy update
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“Helping the poor is a matter of justice before a question of charity.”
Pope Leo
Our charity is committed to calling for tangible, lasting change which will help people transform their lives with dignity and live with hope.
Our regular updates like this one will keep you informed about campaigns and activities calling for change, and let you know about ways you can join us in making a difference.
We hope you’ll feel inspired to actively participate and make a difference in your community.
We’d love to hear from you if you do, so get in touch and let us know what you’ve been up to.
Calling for an end to homelessness
This autumn, we are campaigning for changes to the system that would help see an end to homelessness, as we believe that everyone should have a safe, secure place to call home.
Sadly, homelessness among people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire has continued to rise.
According to the Government’s most recent data there were 8,855 children living in temporary accommodation in the areas covered by our work – a 13% increase on last year.
In addition, it is estimated that there were 386 people rough sleeping across the areas we work in. However, due to the ways in which local authorities identify people rough sleeping, the true figure is likely to be twice as high, and last year, we supported 1,599 people experiencing homelessness through our services.
We know that homelessness isn’t an inevitability and we’re calling for a number of systemic changes which would ensure more people can have a safe and secure home:
- An end to the use of unsupported temporary accommodation (bed and breakfasts) for families and single homeless people.
- An end to rough sleeping, with every person at risk of rough sleeping being accommodated the same day while homelessness applications are being assessed.
- Reforms to the private rented sector to ensure it provides secure, good quality accommodation at an affordable price for all, and for the rates of Local Housing Allowance to be unfrozen and set in line with local rents.
- An increase in the supply of social rented housing, including housing which is accessible.
Find out more about our campaign and how you can help by clicking here now.
Help make our communities places of welcome
Our charity works alongside many people who are settling in Greater Manchester and Lancashire but never imagined they would be forced from the safety of their home and having to start again in a brand-new place. They’re often many, many miles away from loved ones and anything familiar.
Amidst all the noise about migration, working alongside people, getting to know them and hearing their stories reminds us of our shared humanity – people seeking sanctuary are real people with real lives who have inherent dignity and are deserving of kindness and compassion.
In Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis called for a: “culture of encounter capable of transcending our differences and divisions.”
However, a recent report has highlighted the need for a clear UK-wide strategy for welcome and integration. Without one, resources remain fragmented, reactive and poorly targeted, and it is more challenging for people to positively integrate into communities.
With nearly 70% of people in England consistently stating that they get on well with neighbours from different backgrounds, the need for an effective integration strategy is clear.
People from all backgrounds have so much to offer their communities, and effective policymaking can help enable this and in turn, create stronger communities.
Visit our policy and advocacy page to find out more about the changes we are calling for.
We’d also encourage you to consider how you can help make your community a place of welcome and compassion, and you can check out our resources section here for some ideas.
Urgent action needed to end child poverty
As we await the Government’s Child Poverty Strategy, we are continuing to influence and call for the strategy to take decisive action which will making a significant difference for children and families experiencing poverty today.
We’ve been pleased to meet with some local MPs recently (picture shows Michael Wheeler MP with our chair Bishop John Arnold and our director Patrick O’Dowd) to share more about our work tackling child poverty, including our report published earlier this year. We’ve had productive conversations and highlighted the impact of poverty on our school communities, as well as outlining the changes we believe are necessary to break the cycle of child poverty.
One of the policies we believe the child poverty strategy must address is the two-child limit on Universal Credit. The latest figures show that one in 9 children are affected by the two-child limit, with 109 more children being pulled into poverty every day as a result of the policy.
The Child Poverty Action Group has highlighted how the two-child limit disproportionately impacts people who may already face challenges in terms of being able to generate a sufficient income, including families with young children, single parent households and people with disabilities. Black and minority ethnic families are up to three times as likely to be affected compared with white households, embedding inequalities for many children at an early age.
We will continue to call for urgent action to be taken to address the crisis of child poverty, and for the Government to deliver a comprehensive strategy that takes a holistic approach, preventing even more children being forced to grow up in poverty.
To find out more about our policy and advocacy work and ways you can get involved, click here now.
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