Inside Mitchell's dingy box room, there's no Christmas tree or decoration in sight - just a bed, sink, toilet and a kettle. A tiny heater provides the only bit of warmth from the frost outside.
No visitors are allowed to keep him company during the festive period. And after a fall out with his mum which left him homeless, he has no family he can escape to.
Just 21-years-old, Mitchell, who has autism and a range of health issues, presented as homeless in September. He was placed in emergency accommodation as part of the Bed Every Night scheme.
READ MORE: Mums on the edge, hunger and rats - the families trying to hold it together
His disability allowance is barely enough to cover the cost of food, let alone allow him to put a deposit down for a private rental flat, or pay the gas and electricity bills.
Instead, he was placed in shared housing, which he requested to move from, due to the "horrific" conditions there. Mitchell claims he had to clean other people's faeces off the toilet seat, and remove pubic hair from the shower.
On December 1, he was given a room at the Rams Lodge in Fallowfield - one of the B&Bs used by Manchester council as a last resort to house the city's homeless.
The whole system is "dehumanising," Mitchell says. He's forced to fend for himself miles away from any support networks, is prevented from having visitors, and has to knock on someone's door and ask to be fed when he's hungry.
Mitchell's plight comes after an M.E.N investigation revealed that hundreds of Manchester's homeless population are still being placed in unsuitable B&B accommodation - despite their well-documented issues.
Mum-of-two, Kim, whose son is also autistic, was passed around seven different properties - six hotels and B&Bs, before finally being given a temporary home. In one B&B she was forced to share a bathroom with an alcoholic, and claims sex offenders were living under the same roof.
After reading Kim's harrowing story, Mitchell felt compelled to reach out to the Manchester Evening News , and share his own distressing experience of living in a B&B this Christmas.
"I have nothing but a kettle in my room and it's freezing cold," he says. "The rooms are not built for living just for a one night stay. There is only a tiny radiator and at night I'm having to triple layer. It's just demoralising.
"I don't know how long I'll be here. I'm told it's meant to be temporary but some of the people here say they've been here for three years now."
In June, the average number of days spent by a single person in temporary accommodation in Manchester was 223. The average time was 100 days for B&Bs specifically.
Mitchell says he has desperately looked into other options, but with the average cost to rent a property in the city peaking at £1,127 per month, he says he doesn't stand a chance.
"I couldn't go back to my mum's even if I wanted to," he says. "I was living in Beswick before and have since lived in Whalley Range, an area I know nothing about, Moston and now Fallowfield. I couldn't be further from what I am used to.
"If you are homeless you are just getting thrown into temporary accommodation which isn't temporary, it's a long time." It's already been four months, and still there is no sign of Mitchell receiving his own place.
His only support is his girlfriend, who is not allowed to visit him. The couple have had to scrape together some cash to book a cheap hotel so they can spend Christmas Day together.
"I'm not allowed any visitors at all, it's like a prison," he says. "My girlfriend is my main support system and helps me with everything. It makes it so much harder that she's not around.
"Even my physical health is being affected. I have lost at least a stone and a half since becoming homeless. They do make food here but it's demoralising. You have to knock on someone's door and ask for it. I feel like Oliver Twist having to ask for food.
"I feel like this country is going backwards. I am being made to feel that I should be grateful because I'm not on the streets. I'm not living, I'm just surviving."
What the council has to say
Councillor Joanna Midgley, deputy leader of Manchester council, said: "We know that being in temporary accommodation can be a stressful experience and we are sorry if Mitchell’s expectations have not been met.
"We always strive to meet people’s personal support needs as far as we reasonably can and have consistently done so in his case."
A Manchester council spokesperson added: "Rams Lodge operates a no visitors policy for very good reason. The Council have a duty of care to people living there, and to staff, to ensure they feel safe while living in temporary accommodation which means we have to be consistent in not allowing visitors. Mitchell can, and does, visit his girlfriend and stays overnight if he wishes.
"Young people’s shared houses are staffed throughout the day and have security on site out of office hours. They have shared facilities which residents are expected to clean as they would their own home.
"There are rotas in place and staff address any issues which may arise if a young person is not following the rota. We also have mobile cleaners who clean the communal areas, including bathrooms and toilets, several times a week."
Read more of today's stop stories here.
READ NEXT:
