Greater Manchester plans veteran housing support pledge 2026

Key Points

• Greater Manchester mayor Bev Craig promised to prioritize homeless veterans for affordable housing, getting them off the streets as quickly as possible.
• Craig made this announcement at a visit to the Armed Forces Community HQ in Wigan days before the Remembrance Day.
• According to her, the plans include implementation of a “Greater Manchester gold standard” of veteran services based on the existing A Bed Every Night program.
• Specifically, Craig’s proposal will ensure faster access to social and affordable housing, mental health treatment, welfare advice, advocacy, and job assistance.
• The Armed Forces Community HQ in Wigan managed to house 123 veterans permanently throughout Greater Manchester.
• Lisa Murgatroyd, who is the strategic development director of this organization, noted that 99.5% of veterans housed by its Homes at Ease program remained permanently accommodated for six months or more.
• This program, which was launched in 2023, received over 500 referrals throughout the North West since its creation.
• 79-year-old veteran Jimmy Makinson mentioned that the services provided helped him to move from a caravan or motorhome to a stable flat in Chorley.
• As for Mayor Craig, she stressed that the commitment will enhance the responsibilities of Greater Manchester in terms of the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Moreover, Greater Manchester is now scaling up A Bed Every Night program, aiming to provide everyone sleeping rough with a home for the holidays.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) November 7, 2026 — Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig has pledged that homeless veterans in the city region will be prioritised for affordable housing and given immediate assistance to help them leave the streets.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Ms Craig made the commitment during a visit to the Armed Forces Community HQ in Wigan, shortly before Remembrance Day. She said the initiative would create a new “Greater Manchester gold standard” for supporting former members of the Armed Forces who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The mayor said that no person who has served the country should be left to face homelessness. Her pledge builds on Greater Manchester’s existing A Bed Every Night programme, which provides emergency accommodation and support for people sleeping rough.

What is the Greater Manchester gold standard?

The proposed “gold standard” is intended to improve access to social and affordable housing, mental-health services, welfare advice and advocacy support for veterans. It will also aim to provide a clearer route into local services for former service personnel who need help.

As reported by the BBC, Ms Craig said she wanted the approach used in Wigan to become a blueprint across Greater Manchester. The model includes faster access to affordable housing, specialist services and help finding employment.

Ms Craig said the accelerated housing and support initiative would reinforce Greater Manchester’s commitments under the Armed Forces Covenant. The covenant is a public commitment by organisations and public bodies to support members of the Armed Forces community, including veterans and their families.

What does the Wigan veterans’ hub provide?

The Armed Forces Community HQ is based close to Wigan town centre and acts as a central support point for veterans in the surrounding area. It is a government-funded centre offering assistance with healthcare, housing, employment, financial advice, wellbeing, welfare and community reintegration.

According to the UK Government’s veteran-support directory, the organisation provides practical and emotional support to veterans, serving personnel, reservists and their families in Wigan and nearby areas.

The centre’s work covers housing and homelessness, health and wellbeing, skills and employment, relationships and family support, welfare and debt, substance use and addictions, justice-system issues, and social inclusion.

How many veterans has the Wigan hub housed?

The Armed Forces Community HQ in Wigan has helped 123 veterans secure permanent homes across Greater Manchester, according to the Manchester Evening News. The organisation reported a strong record in preventing veterans from becoming homeless again after being housed.

The BBC reported that the hub’s Homes at Ease programme helps veterans who are homeless, or at risk of losing their homes, to find permanent accommodation through social housing providers and private landlords. Since the programme began in 2023, it has received more than 500 referrals across the North West.

Lisa Murgatroyd, strategic development director at Armed Forces Community HQ, said that 99.5% of veterans housed through the scheme had remained in permanent accommodation for more than six months.

Ms Murgatroyd also said that much veteran homelessness is often hidden. Rather than sleeping rough, some veterans stay with friends, live in insecure accommodation or face other unstable living arrangements.

What did Jimmy Makinson say about the support?

During the mayor’s visit, Ms Craig met Jimmy Makinson, a 79-year-old former soldier who served with the 14th/20th King’s Hussars, part of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. He joined the Army at the age of 22.

Mr Makinson told the Manchester Evening News that he had lived a transient lifestyle in his 70s, spending nights in a mobile van after becoming a widower. He later received support from the Wigan Armed Forces HQ and moved into a supported flat in Chorley.

“I can’t express enough gratitude to this place; they’ve helped me tremendously,”

Mr Makinson said, as reported by the Manchester Evening News. He said that he had previously lived out of a caravan and motorhome while working in security jobs across the country.

He said that, after losing his job at the age of 77, he became homeless and was referred to the centre. Mr Makinson also described experiencing mental-health difficulties and alcohol misuse, saying that drinking had offered only a temporary escape.

“I was on the bridge near Botany Bay and I felt I was just moments away from jumping,” he said, according to the Manchester Evening News.

After a year in his Chorley flat, Mr Makinson said he felt secure, with supportive neighbours and a stable living situation. The BBC reported that he still owns his motorhome but now uses it only occasionally.

What did Mayor Craig say about veterans?

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Ms Craig said:

“No one in a prosperous country like ours should find themselves without a home, especially those who have defended our freedoms.”

She added that Greater Manchester had led the way in tackling rough sleeping, but said that support for veterans needed to go beyond providing a roof. She said it required care from mental-health professionals familiar with veterans’ needs, access to affordable long-term housing and a straightforward pathway to local services.

“This will establish new Greater Manchester gold standard support for veterans, and we will learn from successful initiatives like the Armed Forces Community HQ in Wigan,”

Ms Craig said, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.

She also said:

“Today, we reaffirm our commitment to our veterans, pledging to support them every day of the year, not just on Remembrance Day.”

The BBC reported that Ms Craig said:

“No one in a country as rich as ours should be on the streets and no one in Greater Manchester should face a life on the streets.”

How does A Bed Every Night fit into the pledge?

The A Bed Every Night programme provides emergency accommodation and support for people sleeping rough in Greater Manchester. The mayor said the region was expanding the programme as part of its wider response to homelessness.

Ms Craig said the aim was to offer everyone sleeping rough a place to stay by Christmas. However, she acknowledged that not everyone currently had somewhere safe to sleep each night.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has previously said that the mayor’s priority is to get more people into A Bed Every Night, provide a route off the streets for those who need it, and ensure that no one is left without access to wraparound support during the Christmas period.

What wider support is available in Wigan?

Wigan Council’s housing guidance states that veterans who are homeless or of no fixed abode may receive priority, although the council says it does not have a statutory duty to secure accommodation for single people under homelessness legislation.

The council’s Armed Forces Community Covenant also says that former members of the Armed Forces, reservists and bereaved spouses or civil partners whose partner’s death was attributable to service may receive priority status on the housing waiting list, where they have an urgent housing need and a local connection to the borough.

The covenant also refers to housing advice provided through the Early Intervention and Prevention Service, as well as employment and careers support for veterans.

Background of the development

The announcement comes ahead of Remembrance Day, a period when the contribution and sacrifices of UK Armed Forces personnel are formally commemorated. Mayor Craig used the visit to Wigan to set out a wider plan for veteran support across Greater Manchester.

Armed Forces Community HQ was established in Wigan in November 2018. Its stated objectives include helping members of the Armed Forces community become socially included, reducing stigma, improving access to support and improving life chances.

The organisation is listed by the UK Government as a veteran-support organisation and provides support to veterans, serving personnel, reservists and families in Wigan and the surrounding area.

The development also follows Greater Manchester’s wider work on rough sleeping. In October, Mayor Craig welcomed government plans to end rough sleeping and offer everyone a route off the street over Christmas.

In September, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority said the region had received a £16.95 million funding boost to help end rough sleeping, with the mayor describing the area’s approach as a model being rolled out across the country.

Prediction: How could this affect veterans?

For veterans in Greater Manchester who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, the pledge could mean earlier referral to housing support and a clearer route into affordable or social housing. If the Wigan model is extended across the city region, veterans may also find it easier to access mental-health care, welfare advice, employment assistance and advocacy services through a single local point of contact.

The approach could particularly benefit veterans whose homelessness is not immediately visible, including those staying temporarily with friends or living in unstable accommodation. The Armed Forces Community HQ’s reported housing-retention rate suggests that sustained, wraparound support may help veterans remain in permanent homes after they are housed.

For veterans’ families and local support organisations, the commitment may increase demand for coordinated services, including housing providers, mental-health professionals, welfare advisers and employment organisations. The practical effect will depend on how quickly the proposed “gold standard” is implemented, how housing is made available, and whether the additional support reaches veterans before they reach crisis point.