Housing First workers got an early Christmas present with a visit from Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham joined staff to get a first-hand look at the work of the pilot.
Mr Burnham launched the pilot in April and has been supporting the project as it rehouses people with complex issues across the 10 boroughs.
So Team Leader Samantha Morecroft and Housing and Wellbeing advisor James Bennett took Mr Burnham to visit a person who has been rehoused thanks to the GMHF pilot.
The man had lived something of a chaotic life and said he was happy to share his experiences so that Mr Burnham could see what impact the Housing First project was having.
The pair chatted for over an hour as the man talked about the time he had spent on the streets as a homeless man, the cities he had slept rough in and his journey from the streets to his own home.
The man told the Mayor that his life had been immeasurably changed by Housing First and how the support had helped him improve his health.
In the past, he was having seizures and was spending a lot of time in hospital. Now he was in detox and his health was improving.
The man turns 50 in 2020 and has big plans for his landmark year, which includes building bridges with his children and learning to drive.
As well as being delighted by the man’s progress, Andy was also delighted when the man described him as: “The Prime Minister of Greater Manchester.”
The Greater Manchester Housing First pilot is changing lives across Greater Manchester and, together, we are making a difference.