Homeless activists have promised to set up a ‘community hub’ for rough sleepers after occupying an empty building in Manchester city centre.

The homeless rights campaigners have vowed to remain in the vacant office block on Charlotte Street for ‘months’ after taking it over last night.

They say they are occupying the building to set up a hub where homeless people can go to get food, shelter and help to find accommodation and work.

Claiming the legal right to occupy the building under squatter’s rights, they say they have been forced to act as the council are not doing enough for the city’s homeless.

They also claim that members of the fire service have been to the building to assess that it is safe for them to stay in.

Wesley Hall, one of the activists who was also behind the Piccadilly Gardens recent protest rave, told the M.E.N. today: “We got in last night but there’s been squatters here for some time.

In Pictures: Protesters take over Charlotte House

“At the moment we’re clearing and cleaning the building to get it ready to act as a hub for Manchester’s homeless. We will be providing them with somewhere where they can get food, a safe place to sleep and hopefully we can work to find people long-term accommodation and jobs.

“As a non-residential property we have the legal right to squat here and we have served papers to the police and council telling them that.

“No one is going to damage the building and we’re not doing any building work, playing loud music. We will not tolerate any drugs or criminal behaviour.

“Obviously this is not a long-term solution but we will be here for at least a month or two.”

Wesley also says that the council have failed to deliver a strategy to help homeless people that it said it would have completed by October.

But the council maintain that they are engaging with homeless people and are working to develop a strategy around homelessness in the city, and that it remains committed to addressing the needs of homeless people in the city.

It says many activists aren’t themselves homeless - and are making it more difficult for the council to deal with homelessness.

A Manchester City Council spokesman said: "We are aware that a small group of protesters have occupied a private building in the city centre. We have been in contact with the building's owners and with the fire service, who are ensuring that people inside the building do not pose a risk to themselves or to any neighbouring buildings.

A GMP spokesman said they were aware of the occupation and were monitoring the situation.

Time Line

Homeless protest

  1. April 19

    Homeless people and anti-austerity campaigners set up a protest camp outside Manchester Town Hall to raise awareness of the crisis in temporary housing. The group of 30 people call themselves Homeless Rights of Justice.

  2. April 20

    Manchester Town Hall is granted a court injunction to shift the protesters.

  3. April 28

    The group move the camp to St Peter's Square and vow to remain until their campaign is successful.

  4. May 1

    Another possession order is served on the group which they fight against in court. Campaigners say they will remain in high profile spots across the city.

  5. May 5

    Homeless protesters shift their camp to outside Manchester Central Library after being refused entry inside.

  6. May 12

    A 24-year-old is arrested at the site of the camp on suspicion of assault. Another man is arrested the next day for smashing a town hall window with a glass bottle.

  7. May 19

    The protesters lose their appeal against eviction and are kicked out of St Peter's Square. They set up camp around the corner in St Ann's Square.

  8. June 2

    Manchester City Council begin bid to ban the homeless camp from the entire city centre.

  9. June 15

    Former members set up a camp close to Castlefield Bowl.

  10. July 4

    Leader of the Green Party visits the camp and blames “Tory government cuts”.

  11. July 30

    Town Hall bosses win an injunction to prevent anyone pitching a tent without permission in the entire city centre.

  12. August 14

    Council officers enforce possession order in St Ann's Square and Castlefield.

  13. August 18

    Some of the former members of the homeless protest set up camp in upmarket shopping area King Street

  14. September 3

    Police seize stolen goods from protesters in King Street including alcohol and mobile phone covers.

  15. September 9

    A homeless refuge named The Ark is created under the Mancunian Way. A petition is launched to try and save the area from closure.

  16. September 18

    Scuffles break out as university security guards attempt to evict homeless from The Ark refuge camp which is on Manchester Metropolitan University land.

  17. September 22

    Rough sleepers vow to continue to fight as they camp out on pavement

  18. October 3-4

    Piccadilly Gardens: Anti-austerity protest rave

  19. October 7

    Homeless activists occupy office block on Charlotte Street

  20. October 16

    Security increased at London Road fire station over squatter fears

  21. October 18

    Gary Neville tells homeless protest group they can stay at occupied site until February