Emergency accommodation provided is defined as including \u2018commercial hotels, B&Bs, hostels and other forms of self-contained temporary accommodation.’ <\/p>\n At 58, David has been homeless for 24 years. He says Cornerstone <\/a>and Barnabus<\/a>, have both been regular help points in his life in Manchester.<\/p>\n For Mancunians like David, he says he \u201cdoesn\u2019t want to put the NHS under any more strain if I can help it.\u201d<\/p>\n He said: \u201cUnfortunately, the charities can\u2019t afford to provide our masks. There were places you could go hang out during the day and get more help, now not so much because of the social distancing.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not allowed in the buildings no more. Normally it\u2019s just a couple of hours a day we get meals, we don\u2019t get that or washing facilities or showering facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n He said that the usual facilities he uses to get his clothes washed and dried were on the \u2018backburner now.\u2019<\/p>\n For meals, David says that the volunteers from the homeless charities he relies on are no longer allowed to come out with prepared meals, and that local shop donations are running dry. \u201cIf it isn’t by shops then we don\u2019t get anything to eat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Lack of clarity surrounding Christmas celebrations and what resources are available for those without families to stay with is causing uncertainty for the homeless.<\/p>\n The holiday is usually a time of sharing and celebration, with efforts made by the local shelters and charities. There is fear surrounding where the homeless may spend the holiday.<\/p>\n Fortunately, David has alternative plans and has said he will \u201cprobably go to family, they live in Salford so it\u2019s not too far.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked what he would do if he started being symptomatic of the virus, David said: \u201cI\u2019d go to a walk-in centre but if its busy then I\u2019d try the GP. Failing that then A&E – only if I were desperate.\u201d<\/p>\n The message seemed clear that he feels a personal responsibility to stay outside where possible.<\/p>\n Leading homeless charity Crisis <\/a>say in their 2019 Homeless Monitor<\/a> report, that homelessness \u2018has been an upward trend for a number of years … we think current drivers are a combination of pressure on housing availability compounded by high numbers of asylum dispersal.\u2019<\/p>\n Lifeshare Ltd<\/a> offers help to the homeless young people aged 16-25.<\/p>\n Operations manager Judy Vicars said the company keen to safeguard older members of the homeless community, promising to \u201ceducate them about technology through the use of online seminars, wellbeing, yoga, with the help of an upcoming push donation campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n Lifeshare works virtually with clients as the building is not in use to provide usual washing and meal services.<\/p>\n Judy said: \u201cWe can\u2019t deliver indoor breakfast so do it from the street, provide sanitiser and masks for our clients, the clients are lined up and given a squirt of gel and a mask.<\/p>\n \u201cWe give out pocket sized sanitisers, and when we do food parcels for the homeless, we put in 2-3 mask little san and a little san – I\u2019ve run out, but we usually give out little camping towels.<\/p>\n \u201cSince governmental regulations came in about mask wearing, our young people with little money now have the hard choice of spending it on food, or on masks and sanitiser until pay day.<\/p>\n \u201cOne company made me lots of washable masks which are no good if you\u2019re living on street, they have nowhere to wash them.\u201d<\/p>\n With Lifeshare so close to the heart of Manchester\u2019s homeless community, many of their clients have revealed that true safety from the virus is felt on the streets.<\/p>\n She explained: \u201cA lot of the homeless think it\u2019s a conspiracy as they haven\u2019t caught it yet. Have they got a better immune system? I don\u2019t have the answer.<\/p>\n \u201cThe rough sleeping lads have built up an immunity, they don\u2019t want to go indoors because they fear catching it from others they\u2019ll be in closer proximity to.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen they\u2019re out on the streets they can manage their own safety and health. The lads are more nervous – the offer of a bed looks great but they\u2019re too frightened to accept.\u201d<\/p>\n Having self-sufficiency through previous harsh winters, coupled with reductions to funding year on year for homeless support in England, is shown in Judy\u2019s clients\u2019 testimonies to self-belief in their survival.<\/p>\n Lifeshare is to launch a digital campaign shortly asking members of the public to donate phones or tablets.<\/p>\n Track and Trace<\/a>, the government initiative which has garnered much criticism in comparison to other countries methods of tracing the virus, can then be used when the homeless wish to enter places they previously didn\u2019t have access to.<\/p>\n Judy said: \u201cWe\u2019ll clean up the electronics donated so that clients aren\u2019t digitally marginalised.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s all right being put in a hotel but when you have no wi-fi or means of communication it isn\u2019t helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n The Co-op Foundation’s Lonely Not Alone campaign encourages people experiencing loneliness to speak up.<\/p>\n Young people are lonely more often than any other age group. Wear yellow socks and share your Outfit of the Day to show you care #OOTDYellowSocks<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Lonely, Not Alone (@lonelynotalone) October 7, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"Homeless](\"http:\/\/wordpress.satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/437\/2020\/10\/17266355662_d11eaffc7a_z.jpg\")
![\"Homeless](\"http:\/\/wordpress.satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/437\/2016\/10\/homeless_man.jpg\" "\\"Homeless")
![\"masks\"](\"http:\/\/wordpress.satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/437\/2020\/10\/masks-scaled.jpg\" "\\"masks\\"")