The Raising the Roof on Housing series was funded by the generous donations of our supporters in a Crowdfunder we ran last year and its theme was chosen by Meteor Community Members.
Co-living: a new housing model in a broken system
After several months of rejection huge co-living developments are now coming to Manchester. Is it a new form of community living or another extractive product in the city’s ongoing property boom?
With strong links to the city’s financialised student housing sector, is this the type of housing we should be building during Covid-19 and the ongoing housing crisis?
Council gets personal in row over Central Retail Park
As expected, the redevelopment of the former Central Retail Park was approved by Manchester City Council’s executive. But it was not without drama, as terse words were exchanged between Labour councillors and the opposition Liberal Democrat representative.
No luxury offices on former Central Retail Park in Ancoats, locals tell Manchester city council
90% of locals in survey thought the area did not need any more luxury offices, as campaign group Trees Not Cars brand Manchester city council’s public consultation on future of site of former Central Retail Park “tick box activity”
Co-living towers and Northern Quarter demolitions return to planning committee
The Eastlands Arena goes before the planning committee for the first time tomorrow, while co-living towers and Thomas Street demolitions return for another round. The Meteor recaps the most important proposals.
Controversial proposal for 20,000 seat Eastlands Arena is up before Manchester’s Planning Committee this Thursday
The huge Eastlands Arena proposal is backed by the American multinational Oak View Group. The owners of the Manchester Arena say the Eastlands project, near the Etihad Stadium, would take trade away from the city centre and accuse the council of having a conflict of interest in the deal.
Manctopia: reality TV in a journalism jumper
The series trailer and episode lead-ins for the BBC documentary Manctopia are suggestive of a series seeking to analyse the inequalities associated with Manchester’s “property boom”.
Instead, this glossy reality TV entrenches a misguided message that uncontrolled investor-driven urban development is the only possible trajectory. Its winners vs losers framing negatively impacts those communities experiencing the pressures of gentrification on a daily basis.
Social housing companies extracting huge shareholder payouts from housing benefits paid to vulnerable tenants
Thirteen registered providers of social housing are using this financialised lease-based model in Greater Manchester. Five have regulatory judgements against them. Wigan is the borough with the highest amount of this type of housing which is fueling substantial dividend payments to shareholders, all derived from public money paid to house people with disabilities. Social housing […]
Northern Quarter residents and councillors speak after Thomas Street weavers cottages are saved from demolition
A controversial proposal to demolish a row of listed 18th century weaver cottages in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter was struck down in the Planning Committee meeting last week. With the survival of the buildings for now secured, how do the victorious campaigners and councillors want this local heritage to be restored and used? […]
Social housing is key to alleviating the housing crisis, so why are we not building it?
National statistics show that across GM as social housing has fallen, housing waiting lists and temporary accommodation has risen. Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett and author of “Safe as Houses” Stuart Hodkinson give their views on the state of social housing and what needs to be done to improve it. It was the crises of […]