THE Greater Manchester mayor is calling for housing to be made a basic human right like education or health care.

Andy Burnham has written to the leaders of the three main parties asking for their support on the matter.

He said: "It is time that Parliament woke up to the scale of the crisis unfolding on our streets.

“Rising levels of rough-sleeping are the most visible sign of our broken housing market. But, behind every person on the street, hundreds more are just one step away in poor rented accommodation.

“Here in Greater Manchester, there is no shortage of passion and determination to do something to help. But that urgently needs to be matched by people in Parliament and government showing the same.

"We cannot allow the intricacies of Brexit to divert us from the humanitarian crisis unfolding on our own streets."

May marks 12 months since Mr Burnham was elected and he has reaffirmed his pledge to end homelessness by 2020.

While he welcomed national commitments towards ending homelessness he said more of the same is not enough.