The kids are struggling, we want to move out, but it's taking so long

Revealed... the plight of children in temporary accommodation

- STEPHEN TOPPING & DECLAN CAREY

WHEN plans to start a new life in France fell apart during the pandemic, Nick Blake was left with nowhere else to turn. He, his wife and their six children became homeless back in Manchester.

They shared a room in a hostel.

They hopped around from hotel to hotel for several weeks. Eventually, they were found a four-bedroom house in Moston.

It is classed as temporary accommodation. But after almost two-anda-half years, the family-of-eight is still there.

"The kids are struggling and we're all stressed," Nick said. "It's impacting all of us. We want to move out, but it's taking so long."

The family is on Manchester's housing register. They've been told they're likely to be waiting for four years for a suitable property. They're not alone.

Thousands of families could be waiting far longer.

As of July 15, the city had a waiting list of 17,532 households.

A recent report from the town hall suggests Mancunians with a 'band two' housing need the most common of five bands - who need a fourbedroom home are facing a wait of more than 10 years.

Nick's children were four of the 4,243 living in temporary accommodation across Manchester at the end of March this year, according to new figures from housing charity Shelter.

It means that roughly one in 30 of the city's kids are facing insecure accommodation.

Across the whole of Greater Manchester, the figure is around onein-85, with 7,679 children living in temporary accommodation at the end of March this year.

Nick, originally from Bristol, moved to Greater Manchester in 2007 when he left the army. He met his Mancunian wife, settled in south Manchester and worked a number of jobs as a chef, gardener and handyman.

The family rented a Southway Housing Trust property in Chorlton for five years before moving to France in September 2021.