The Greater Manchester Housing First, Planning and Infrastructure Commission met virtually on 25 March 2026 to discuss a range of housing and infrastructure matters. Key topics included a pilot programme for integrated adult social care workers to support those experiencing homelessness, a new initiative to tackle empty homes and improve temporary accommodation, and an update on the government's Warm Homes Plan. The commission also reviewed progress on strategic infrastructure projects across Greater Manchester.

Pilot Integrated Adult Social Care Workers - Homelessness

A report was presented on a proposed pilot programme to integrate Adult Social Care Workers into local authority Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Teams across Greater Manchester. The aim of this initiative is to improve outcomes for individuals experiencing long-term rough sleeping, particularly those with complex care and support needs, by strengthening joint working between homelessness services and Adult Social Care. The programme is funded through a £252,818 uplift to the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant for 2025-2026, which will support the placement of five Social Workers in Bury, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, and Trafford. These workers will be embedded within homelessness teams to provide targeted, intensive support to a small cohort of individuals experiencing long-term rough sleeping or extended stays in A Bed Every Night (ABEN) accommodation. Mobilisation was expected to begin in April 2026, with a 12-month period for delivery and evaluation. The report recommended that members consider how this model would improve support for those experiencing long-term rough sleeping and multiple exclusion homelessness, and explore opportunities to strengthen joint working between homelessness and Adult Social Care services.

Housing First: GM Temporary Accommodation Empty Homes Programme

The commission was scheduled to review a programme designed to improve the supply of temporary accommodation and reduce reliance on unsuitable, 'ad hoc' placements across Greater Manchester. This programme includes an £11 million initiative comprising an Empty Homes and Leasing Programme, which aims to employ 17 Empty Homes officers across the region and bring 400 empty homes back into use as temporary or settled accommodation. Additionally, a GM Temporary Accommodation Placement Observatory is to be established to gather data on temporary accommodation usage, expenditure, supply, and demand. The programme was mobilising to commence on 1 April 2026, and members were to be provided with a progress update on its implementation. The recommendations included appraising the programme, commenting on collaboration opportunities, noting the financial pressures on local authority budgets due to temporary accommodation, and considering the wider role of empty homes work in local housing strategies.

Warm Homes Plan

An update was scheduled on the government's Warm Homes Plan (WHP), published on 21 January 2026. This plan outlines a £15 billion investment to reduce energy bills, alleviate fuel poverty, and improve the energy efficiency of the nation's building stock. The plan includes £5 billion for low-income schemes, primarily delivered by local and combined authorities, and £2 billion for consumer loans. Key messages from the plan include a focus on rooftop solar, clean heating, and energy storage, with targets for installing 3 million solar panels and 450,000 heat pumps by 2030. A new Warm Homes Agency is to be operational from 2027. The report highlighted potential opportunities for Greater Manchester, including an estimated £16 million in additional grant funding for the 2026-27 financial year through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF). It also noted risks such as potential skills shortages and a lack of new measures to reduce electricity costs relative to gas.

Infrastructure Progress Report

The commission was to receive an update on the work of the Greater Manchester Strategic Infrastructure Board (SIB). The report provided a strategic overview of the SIB's activities, achievements in 2025/26, and priorities for 2026/27, aligning with the Greater Manchester Strategy Delivery Plan. The SIB acts as a forum for coordinating organisations responsible for Greater Manchester's infrastructure systems, including energy, transport, water, and digital infrastructure. Key achievements in 2025/26 included strengthened engagement with economic regulators and government departments, and the development of operational interfaces to support delivery, such as the Environment Agency's screening of delivery plan sites and a similar process by United Utilities. Priorities for 2026/27 were identified as developing a Greater Manchester Infrastructure Plan, implementing collaborative street works, formalising governance with the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and Regional Energy System Operator (RESP), responding to the Water White Paper, supporting transmission and distribution network delivery, engaging with Ofgem on Electricity Distribution 3 (ED3), and developing a framework for social value and benefits.