The Sock Exchange Closure and Homeless Man Murder

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/28/gary-neville-praised-but-homeless-leave-footballers-hotel-for-uncertain-future

Throughout the duration of my project 'The Sock Exchange' has been a major focus within the news. As previously explained in the first part (unit) to my project, it was an old stock exchange building in Manchester owned by Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs. While they were renovating the building to become a luxury hotel squatters managed to force entry and start living in the building, but instead of kicking them out they told them they could stay for the coldest months of the winter. This received huge amounts of press, and event though I tried I wasn't able to gain entry to photograph the project. 

Among nearly all of the homeless news in Manchester, this was one of the most positive stories that has been circulating. 

But unfortunately the hotel for the homeless is now closed, as they need to start the renovation again to keep the project on track. This means that all the people who were in the hotel will most probably be back onto the streets, even though they have had a team in the stock exchange who were working on housing all the inhabitants. It has been estimated that Neville spent £150,000 to run the hotel for the homeless over the few winter months that it was open. This figure showcases the expense that has to be spent just to provide people with short-term housing, and supports my projects aims to increase the amount of support they receive. 

Even though this was such a positive story, it was only for a very temporary time which supports my on going theory about homeless people not having anywhere to sleep long enough to become calling it 'home'. This also coincides with the points that they need a postcode before being able to work and get back into the community. This is being done through hostels and the like, but there is a long waiting list to be long term housed in this type of accommodation and usually the people with most problems are housed and need the support first. This leaves much of the young and 'fit' population of homeless people being left to defend themselves, and why the camps that are popping up around Manchester are actually a good place for them to live while they are waiting to be re-housed. The reason for this, is that it provides them with a small community that they are part of, which should mean they look out for one another making it a lot safer. But even this is difficult to predict and living in tents can still be very dangerous for homeless people. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/manchester-homeless-man-murder-two-arrested-over-body-found-on-fire-in-tent-salford-a6830751.html

The article above describes the murder of Daniel Smith, a homeless man living in a tent in Manchester. The headline caught my attention as it instantly made me think about all the different people that I have already met through my project and hoped that it wasn't anyone that I knew. 

The police believe that Daniel was attacked before being set alight inside his own tent under a bridge in Salford. This sort if horrific tragedy really shows the vulnerability of the people who have to live their lives like this and the amount of anxiety for their own safety they must feel on day to day bases. 

  

These two articles I have discussed show that when someone makes one step forward in helping the housing problem for homeless people in Manchester, it can only go so far, before they are back fighting to defend themselves from certain dangers that the second article showcases.