Working with schools to prevent homelessness before crisis

At Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, we are committed to ending homelessness and the need for rough sleeping across the city-region. Through our grant programmes, we support organisations working across Emergency Response, Places and Spaces, and Prevention. Prevention is as important as crisis support, intervening before families, households and individuals reach breaking point. 

Since launching in 2018, we have funded more than 170 organisations across Greater Manchester. One of our recent grants supported Greater Manchester Academies Trust and their @Home project, which works with schools to support children and families affected by insecure housing and temporary accommodation. 

Schools are often the most consistent and trusted places in a child’s life. For families experiencing housing instability, they can also be a vital point of early intervention. 

Before launching the @Home project, GMAT identified insecure housing as a growing issue affecting students and their families. Housing instability was having a direct impact on children’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as their attendance, behaviour, and academic performance. 

Insecure housing is rarely an isolated issue. Families may also be navigating financial insecurity, physical or mental health challenges, or family breakdown. GMAT’s approach recognises that supporting a child’s education means supporting the whole family when difficulties arise. 

The impact of our grant

Since September, the project has supported 12 students with travel costs, where families were moved significant distances from their child’s school. Without this support, many children would struggle to attend regularly — risking further disruption during an already troubling time. 

The grant has also enabled the school to purchase a washer and dryer specifically for community use. Families can access these facilities during evenings and weekends, alongside cooking facilities, enabling families to prepare meals, keep on top of day to day tasks, and maintain a sense of normality. 

Alongside direct support, GMAT is working with Shelter to deliver Housing Rights Awareness training to schools, with plans to extend this training to more schools across the city-region. Parent information sessions are also being developed, both within GMAT schools and in partnership with others, creating a safe environment for families to disclose their housing situation and be signposted to support.

The role schools can play in prevention 

GMAT has been delivering this work for over three years and has worked closely with Manchester City Council to improve how schools are notified when a student is placed into temporary accommodation. Through their collaboration with other organisations across the region, a new notification system now alerts schools, enabling them to respond quickly and appropriately. 

The @Home project is rooted in the belief that schools can play a powerful role in homelessness prevention. Schools are safe, familiar spaces. They know their students and families well, and these trusted relationships can be harnessed to provide early support — preventing crises from escalating. 

Looking ahead, GMAT’s priority is to engage more schools in the project, ensuring they understand both how to respond when a family is placed in temporary accommodation and the role they can play in prevention. 

Over the coming weeks, we will continue to share the impact our grants are making across Greater Manchester.  

Please consider setting up a monthly donation here. With your help, we can get this vital funding to the frontline. 

Together, we can end homelessness.