To help pass the time in lockdown,we will tweet true stories from Moss Side& #39;s history this week.

In June 1920, two Manchester councillors, Cllrs Hart & Hales, climbed over the back wall of an empty house on Great Western St and broke in with a hammer and chisel. 1/4

They had already told the council what they were going to do. They then moved in an ex-serviceman with his family. The Moss Side Tenants& #39; Defence Association arranged for protection whilst the man was at work.2/4

Within a half mile radius were 30 more empty houses. The councillors pledged to "frustrate the operations of the property profiteers" and so long as there was an ex-serviceman without a home, carry on with their "rehousing" scheme and fill every one. 3/4

Whilst we would never advocate our councillors @emilyrowles @MahdiTaarwale @sameemali copying this method of solving Moss Side& #39;s shortage of family houses this approach was probably far more easy to understand and implement than going down the Local Plan consultation route. 4/4