The number of homeless people who died in Greater Manchester in 2020 - and what you can do to help

Some 13 homeless people are believed to have died of Covid-19 in 2020, despite Government efforts to protect rough sleepers through the pandemic.

An estimated 688 deaths of homeless people were recorded across England and Wales in 2020, according to official figures.

The leading underlying cause of death registered was ‘accident’, affecting 307 people, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. An underlying cause of death is a disease or injury which initiated the chain of events leading directly to death.

Two out of five (39%) of all the deaths were related to drug poisoning – 265 in total. There could be many underlying causes for drug related deaths, ranging from accidents to suicides to illnesses caused by drug abuse or dependence.

There were 90 fewer deaths recorded in 2020 than the year before, a drop of 11.6%.

An estimated 13 deaths involved Covid, which includes those where the virus was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate

The figures, analysed by our sister site NationalWorld, come a few days after Greater Manchester Combined Authority said the number of people believed to be sleeping on the streets of Greater Manchester had fallen for the fourth year in a row.

A snapshot survey in November 2021 indicated 89 people sleeping rough, down from 125 in 2020’s survey.

Here is the estimated number of deaths of homeless people in Greater Manchester in 2020, according to data from the ONS. The figures for 2019 are in brackets.

1. Manchester: 8 deaths (down from 20).

2. Salford: 5 deaths (up from 4).

3. Wigan: 5 deaths (up from 2)

4. Bury: 2 deaths (none in 2019)

5. Bolton: 1 death (down from 4)

6. Rochdale: 1 death (down from 3)

7. Stockport: 1 death (same as in 2019).

8. Tameside: 1 death (none in 2019)

9. Trafford: 1 death (none in 2019).

10. Oldham: no deaths (1 in 2019).

What’s being done to tackle homelessness in Greater Manchester?

Earlier this year, Greater Manchester Leaders adopted the city-region’s first ever Homelessness Prevention Strategy, which builds on the local A Bed Every Night scheme.

Paul Dennett, City Mayor of Salford and Greater Manchester’s lead for homelessness, said: “During the pandemic, the Government’s Everyone In scheme accelerated the work we’ve already been doing across Greater Manchester to cut homelessness and rough sleeping. It showed that with the right combination of investment and political will, we can get people in from the cold and connect them to personalised support that meets their needs. There is a real risk that if we lose that momentum this progress will be undone, especially given the cost-of-living crisis the country is currently facing, and the chronic under-supply of truly affordable housing.

“We also have concerns about the long-term effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the way that it has affected our communities – especially people in the most precarious positions. The true impact of the furlough scheme, the eviction ban, and the ending of the Universal Credit uplift haven’t been fully felt yet. That’s why our focus is on tackling the structural inequalities that left some people much more exposed to the shocks of a national health crisis. Our Homelessness Prevention Strategy was informed by the lived experiences of people involved in its production, and it sets out a collaborative, integrated approach to addressing the wider determinants of homelessness and rough sleeping in Greater Manchester.”

How can I help the homeless in Greater Manchester?

The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity has launched a new winter campaign to raise £30,000 to fund 1,000 places in A Bed Every Night shelters over Christmas.

You can donate online via JustGiving here or tap one of the contactless machines in the city centre to give £3.