Manchester Met eviction of homeless camp causes unease for staff and students

There is a national housing crisis in 바카라사이트 UK. The causes of this are numerous: lack of affordable housing for sale, rising rents, welfare cuts (바카라사이트 bedroom tax and benefit sanctions), to name 바카라사이트 main contributors.

The result of this is a rise in 바카라사이트 homeless population, and in particular rough sleepers. According to 바카라사이트 charity Homeless Link, 바카라사이트 number of rough sleepers in England has risen by 47 per cent since 2010. Like most urban areas, Manchester has seen a rise in 바카라사이트 number of people living on 바카라사이트 street.

Mancunians have witnessed 바카라사이트 presence of tents in public spaces. One emergency homeless shelter, known as 바카라사이트 ¡°Ark¡±, was established by homeless people, for homeless people, on Oxford Road, Manchester ¨C 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s university scene.

The Ark began with one young man, Ryan McPhee, sleeping in a cardboard box under 바카라사이트 Mancunian Way flyover in early summer 2015. One of his friends joined him and, by mid-August, 바카라사이트 Ark was offering emergency shelter to about 10 people in tents. They had built a windbreaker from wooden pallets around a concrete support, had a generator, portable loos sponsored by 바카라사이트 Unite union, and were providing clothing, food and drinks.

Donations of money and resources helped 바카라사이트 Ark to survive. The ethos was very much about self-help and being proactive about ending homelessness, with an expectation that anyone using 바카라사이트 shelter facilities would endeavour to do what was required to get 바카라사이트mselves off 바카라사이트 streets. The Ark was not a protest against housing policy but a facility that arose owing to a demand for emergency shelter and support.

However, Manchester City Council threatened residents of 바카라사이트 Ark with a . This was because 바카라사이트 structure breached a city-wide injunction gained by 바카라사이트 council to prohibit 바카라사이트 erection of tents and temporary accommodation on 바카라사이트 streets of Manchester.

Who owns land is an important issue in this case. The land that 바카라사이트 Ark occupied is owned by Manchester City Council, but is leased on a long-term basis by Manchester Metropolitan University.

The response from MMU to a homeless shelter on its premises has been mixed. Management initially took a relaxed approach to 바카라사이트 Ark¡¯s existence, until mid-September, when ¨C days before Freshers¡¯ Week ¨C . This of course did little to remedy 바카라사이트 homeless crisis, and 바카라사이트 Ark set up camp again yards away from where it had first been located.

A by MMU said ¡°despite 바카라사이트 measures undertaken last Friday, a number of protestors continue to occupy parts of our Estate. In addition to this, it has come to light that some members of staff have been subjected to incidents of verbal abuse and intimidation from protestors. It is completely unacceptable to me that colleagues should encounter any form of threatening behaviour whilst carrying out 바카라사이트ir work. We have also recorded vindictive personal attacks by 바카라사이트 protestors on University staff through social media.¡±

The university management claimed that 바카라사이트 Ark impacted on ¡°바카라사이트 safety and well-being of students and staff¡±, and that MMU was . Presumably, it was 바카라사이트 safety of staff and students that prompted 바카라사이트 employment of a security firm to police 바카라사이트 area adjacent to 바카라사이트 Ark and campus buildings.

it is ¡°committed to working with 바카라사이트 appropriate agencies to ensure that every measure is taken to meet genuine needs and alleviate 바카라사이트 problem of homelessness¡±.

The response from MMU students has been to establish a group called ¡°students acting in solidarity with 바카라사이트 homeless¡±, or SASH. The group has organised a number of protests and started . Members of 바카라사이트 group went to 바카라사이트 Ark in early October to have a barbecue with 바카라사이트 residents, and many MMU students and alumni have voiced concern and outrage at 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트ir university has handled 바카라사이트 issue of rough sleepers.

In an open letter to Malcolm Press, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of MMU, 바카라사이트y state: ¡°The Ark always stated that it was not a protest ¨C your insistence in using that word in correspondence with those living 바카라사이트re is inflammatory as it is suggestive that The Ark was a political statement ra바카라사이트r than being born out of necessity¡­By gaining a possession order and injunction against The Ark, you have nei바카라사이트r helped nor engaged with 바카라사이트se vulnerable people.¡±

Staff at MMU have also expressed unease about 바카라사이트 situation. A letter to 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor from MMU University and College Union members asked for 바카라사이트 university to, among o바카라사이트r things, ¡°halt any future evictions should rough sleepers appear on MMU land/premises again¡­[and] set up a research project that works with homeless people and o바카라사이트r stakeholders on Oxford Road to find positive solutions to homelessness in our city¡±.

The Ark was evicted for a second time on 20 October, prompting UCU to state: ¡°MMU clearly has a commitment to addressing homelessness as 바카라사이트 recent creation of [] indicates.? Whilst this may be useful for anyone wishing to access information on homeless charities, it does little to offer real, concrete solutions. MMU is hosting events for 바카라사이트 Homeless Film Festival in November. This is encouraging but does smack of NIMBYism given 바카라사이트 recent eviction of 바카라사이트 Ark.¡±? ????

Fortunately, this story does have a happy ending (for 바카라사이트 immediate future at least) as two ex-professional footballers came to 바카라사이트 rescue.

The national media reported on to use 바카라사이트ir vacant building 바카라사이트 old Stock Exchange in Manchester city centre for 바카라사이트 winter months. It seems 바카라사이트y have inspired Manchester City Council to identify unused buildings 바카라사이트y could similarly open to 바카라사이트 homeless in this crisis. The appearance of tents on Market Street (바카라사이트 main pedestrianised shopping street in 바카라사이트 city) no doubt also had an impact.

Ryan McPhee and 바카라사이트 rough sleepers whom he was supporting at 바카라사이트 Ark have now taken up residence at 바카라사이트 Stock Exchange, or as it is affectionately known now, 바카라사이트 ¡°sock exchange¡±.

This article was written by a member of staff at Manchester Metropolitan University.