Manchester, a city in the northwest of England, may have made headlines recently for Harry Styles’ “One Night in Manchester” Netflix concert special, or even for its devout Manchester United and Manchester City rival football fandoms.
But the city is also a major metropolitan area, with over 2.7 million residents and roughly one in 61 people experiencing homelessness, as of late 2025.
Embassy, a Greater Manchester-based charity that helps people break the cycle of homelessness, is trying a new approach.
The organization’s new Embassy Village has just opened its doors, a housing development constructed under 22 railway arches in Castlefield.
Altogether, there are 40 fully-furnished, private units for residents to transition out of homelessness, wraparound support services, and community spaces for socializing, dining, and wellness.
“We’re not just housing people. We are offering the chance for them to rebuild their lives,” Sid Williams, co-founder of Embassy, told Manchester Evening News. “The goal is always to help them break the cycle of homelessness.”
The village’s communal spaces include a multi-use sports area, outdoor gardens where each resident can grow their own produce, and a dedicated space for mentoring and socializing.
Once they move in, each resident will receive six hours of one-on-one support every week, including sessions on cooking, budgeting, job interview prep, and more. According to Manchester Evening News, over 20 local companies have signed on to be partners for employment pipelines for residents.
Construction has just been completed, with more than 130 businesses providing pro-bono materials, labor, or expertise to bring the village to life. Vermont Construction Group even built the facility at no profit.
Mark Connor, CEO of Vermont Construction Group, said the project goes beyond simply building homes.
“Homelessness is a huge issue in Manchester as the city has some of the highest numbers of rough sleepers in the country,” Connor said in a statement.
“This project isn’t just about bricks and mortar. It’s about creating a community and support system for people who need it.”
Outside of the in-kind support, Embassy Village was made through a £3.5 million donation from The Moulding Foundation and £1.7 million in Brownfield Development Funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Other private foundations also financed the development.
Embassy was founded in 2019 and originally used a repurposed luxury tour bus to provide emergency shelter to homeless neighbors. Williams said this experience highlighted the need for more robust transitional housing. That’s when the idea for Embassy Village emerged.
Development group Peel Waters helped bring it all to life, over about six years. Now, it’s a whole neighborhood, hidden right beneath the surface of the city.
“Buying an A-lister tour bus to house homeless people seemed a big vision when we started, and yet here we are not so long later building an entire village,” Williams said at the celebration of the project’s completion.
“We couldn’t have done this without the incredible companies, individuals, and trusts who have given their support and believed in the vision.”
It seems to be an achievement for all involved.
“Watching Embassy Village reach completion is one of the proudest moments of my career. Walking through the finished homes and seeing this once‑forgotten space transformed into a place of safety, dignity and hope is incredibly moving,” James Whittaker, managing director of Peel Waters, said in a statement.
“What makes it even more special is knowing that this wasn’t achieved by one organization alone, but by an entire city coming together with compassion, generosity and belief in what’s possible.”
City officials are also eager to see how the project makes an impact.
“Initiatives such as this show how big things can happen when the people and businesses of Greater Manchester come together,” Tim Heatley, Chair of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, said in a statement.
“A city is judged on how it looks after its most vulnerable residents, and once again, our city region is leading the way.”
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Header image courtesy of Peel Waters
