Manchester vs Hackney: can homeless protesters sleep in cardboard boxes?

Tony Gosling tony at cultureshop.org.uk
Tue Aug 11 01:12:03 BST 2015 


Court issues 'inhumane' list of things homeless 
protesters CAN sleep in - including cardboard boxes

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/homeless-inhumane-list-protest-manchester-9803235 

    * 14:10, 6 AUGUST 2015   BY 
<http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/authors/jennifer-williams/>JENNIFER 
WILLIAMS    https://twitter.com/HomelesscampMCR
HACKNEY binned controversial homelessness order 
yesterday following mass public outcry that it criminalised homeless people
http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-e167-Hackney-Council-bins-anti-homeless-order

The list shows what is exempt from a city 
centre-wide injunction granted against Manchester's homeless protest

[]


People previously living in tents in Castlefield have moved to Oxford Road
An ‘inhumane’ list of things homeless people ARE 
allowed to sleep in has been issued in a court judgement.
The injunction - granted to 
<http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/all-about/manchester-council>Manchester 
council last week - lists sleeping bags and 
cardboard boxes as among the types of shelter 
destitute people are permitted to use.
It is part of an attempt by the town hall to stop 
the 
<http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/all-about/manchester-city-centre>city 
centre’s controversial homeless protest camp 
repeatedly moving from site to site.
The judgement is intended to apply to protesters 
in tents, so lawyers drew up a list of what is 
exempt - so genuinely homeless people do not get prosecuted.
But solicitor Ben Taylor, who was acting on 
behalf of camp members in court last week, said 
drawing up the list was an ‘inhumane and barbaric task’.
    * 
<http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/lawyers-representing-manchester-homeless-camp-9771866>Lawyers 
representing Manchester homeless camp attack 
government for restricting access to legal aid
    * 
<http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchesters-homeless-protest-camp-banned-9761876>Manchester's 
homeless protest camp banned from city centre
    * 
<http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/green-party-leader-visits-homeless-9585135>Green 
Party leader visits homeless protest camp in Manchester city centre
    * 
<http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-homeless-campaigners-could-end-9535878>Manchester 
homeless campaigners 'could end up in jail under draconian council move'
    * 
<http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/bill-manchester-homelessness-protest-exceeds-9534300>Bill 
for Manchester homelessness protest exceeds £100k – and counting
The ruling, obtained by the M.E.N, says homeless 
people can use the following: sleeping bags, 
blankets, cardboard boxes, benches, doorways and 
bus shelters. It also makes clear that they can 
use hostels and overnight charity accommodation.
It bans people from erecting or living in tents 
‘or other movable temporary forms of 
accommodation’ in the city centre to protest 
against the council’s homelessness policy. Those 
who breach it could face two years in jail.
But Mr Taylor said that would be ‘difficult to 
enforce’, adding: “How could Manchester city 
council prove that someone is protesting about 
its homeless policy short of the individual holding a placard stating as much?”
The town hall has been chasing camp members 
around the city centre since April, already 
evicting them from two squares in an operation 
said to have cost over £100,000. Two orders to 
evict it from both St Ann’s Square and Castlefield were also granted last week.
Camp members have now moved from 
<http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/all-about/castlefield>Castlefield 
to under the 
<http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/all-about/mancunian-way-a635m>Mancunian 
Way on Oxford Road, but remain put in St Ann’s Square.
Nigel Murphy, Manchester council’s executive 
member for neighbourhoods, said: “We have always 
been very clear that our attempts to close the 
camps are not aimed at cracking down on lawful 
protests or in criminalising homeless people.
“As I’m sure members of the protest group will 
understand, the court order sets out a very clear 
timetable of activities which we need to carry 
out before we are able to act upon it and regain possession of the two sites.”


Ending Homelessness in Manchester
http://www.gofundme.com/MCRhomes4homeless
https://twitter.com/HomelesscampMCR
[]

<http://www.gofundme.com/mvc.php?route=search&term=M25DB&country=GB>City 
Centre War...

<http://www.gofundme.com/MCRhomes4homeless#>
Thankyou to everyone who is helping to raise 
awareness and funds. I'm working hard on housing 
as usual and currently busy looking to help a 
couple of landlords fill vacant property - so 
today's blog is entirely appropriate. It's up at 
<http://goo.gl/5PnCf9>http://goo.gl/5PnCf9 - 
Homelessness Reduction - Multi: Let to Success :)
<http://www.gofundme.com/MCRhomes4homeless#>Subscribe 
to Updates 
<http://www.gofundme.com/MCRhomes4homeless#>Show 
More<http://www.gofundme.com/MCRhomes4homeless#>DONATE<http://www.gofundme.com/MCRhomes4homeless#>TWEET<http://www.gofundme.com/MCRhomes4homeless#>SHARE
Hi and thanks for visiting my page!

My name is Amy Varle and I’m the founder of 
People's Property Shop, an organisation striving 
to provide cost-effective and sustainable housing 
solutions to Manchester's homeless and vulnerable.

I call us an organisation, but in actual fact, it's just me.

[]

I work directly with the people who are most in 
need – so far over 120 vulnerable individuals - 
from rough sleepers, to victims of domestic 
violence, to children leaving care. I support 
them to obtain and maintain safe, good-quality, 
permanent homes - and I help them to rebuild their lives.

[]

Some have gone on to become peers and mentors, 
many have gained employment and most are creating 
a fulfilling and meaningful contribution to society.

[]

I'm not an activist, just an ordinary young Mum 
with a big idea - that seemingly works very well. 
Having lived in a hostel for young people as a 
teenager, then going on to spend my entire life 
working in a related field, I’m hugely passionate about homes for all.

In 2013 I began practically testing an innovative 
homelessness reduction model in Manchester which 
enabled me to demonstrate a successful and 
finely-tuned solution to our nation's housing 
shortage; one which is bursting with social value.

Work I have undertaken to date evidences 
government savings well in excess of £2 Million* 
and I strongly believe this is early stage 
practice for the eradication of homelessness as we know it.

[]

Unfortunately, being just me, it has been near 
impossible to obtain the support and funding I 
need in order to take this concept fully to the 
public market. I’ll be sharing much more about 
everything I do via daily blogs in the coming 
weeks and months, so to keep it short here, the 
core basis of successful practice looks something like this:

Innovative Inter-Sector Housing Strategies + Creative Support Packages

= Positive Outcomes and Sustainable, Cost-Effective Solutions

[]

Evidently, this project is totally unsustainable 
when solely reliant on me for delivery and 
financing - and the responsibility has pushed me 
to my limits and beyond over the last few years.

I would love for the components to be utilised on 
a mass scale, however unfortunately, hurdles of 
beuracracy and red tape mean I am generally 
ineligible to submit applications for assistance 
alone - and I have been unsuccessful in my quest 
to find any establishment willing to partner in some way.

With Manchester Council reluctant to support me, 
despite recently spending over £100,000 on legal 
fees in an attempt to ban homeless people from 
protesting in the City, I've decided to go all 
out in order to match-fund their £100,000 - so 
that I can assist in creating a radical new 
service; one which meets the needs of the people it is there to serve.

[]

In my world, £100,000 will provide:

- Permanent, safe and good quality housing for in 
excess of 100 genuinely vulnerable people 
(usually my tenants are referred via local 
authorities and local, regional and national charities)

- Assistance to create working relationships with 
professional agencies who can support individuals to rebuild their lives

- Help with move in costs and support with administrational duties

- Personal development workshops covering areas 
such as budgeting, financial responsibility, 
assertiveness and employability coaching

- Free resource tools for profesionals across the 
public, private and third sectors

Funds will enable me to recruit staff and 
volunteers to assist in providing support to 
applicants and occupants, whilst I publically 
create new  housing strategies for Manchester 
which can be replicated by local authorities and 
charitable organisations UK wide. I will be 
sharing all aspects of my journey and the work I 
undertake via video blogging, as well as 
producing a range of free educational tools for professionals.

[]

If you usually give change to rough sleepers, 
donate to temporary resource providers or support 
a larger charity financially, please divert funds 
here so that I can continue to provide and expand 
on the the services our rough sleepers so 
desperately need. Every penny is valuable and 
contributes toward lasting social change. It is 
crucial we stop enabling homelessness and put 
funds into projects which are cost-effective and 
offer permanent, scalable, replicable solutions.

Together let’s end homelessness for good! Please 
become a part of the #MCRHomes4Homeless movement!

[]

Thankyou for every single penny in donations: I 
am so grateful and humbled. I can't wait to share 
my journey with you all so that you can see the 
social value which can be created with innovative 
thinking and careful use of funds.

Please share this page with your friends, family 
and colleagues and ask them share, share and 
share again. At this stage, public awareness is all I have!

  Thanks for reading and hopefully supporting the 
movement, please stay in touch on Twitter 
@MissAmyVarle where I will be posting daily 
updates as the situation continually develops.

Much love!

Amy

<http://www.peoplespropertyshop.co.uk/>www.peoplespropertyshop.co.uk
www.amyvarle.com



*(Savings certified by Crisis ‘Making it Count’ 
Value for Money and Cost Effectiveness Indicators)
1.0K
TOTAL
SHARES
<http://www.gofundme.com/MCRhomes4homeless#>SHARE
<http://www.gofundme.com/MCRhomes4homeless#>TWEET
<http://www.gofundme.com/MCRhomes4homeless#>DONATE
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