Andy Burnham has said a homeless man who died on the streets had been offered help but didn't accept it.
John Wrench, 25, was found dead after sleeping rough in the doorway of Marks and Spencer in Manchester city centre.
His death was not deemed to be suspicious, and police passed a file to the coroner.
Now Mr Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, said council staff had worked with Mr Wrench on a 'regular basis'.
He said Mr Wrench had been offered support and accommodation, but he 'did not feel able to accept'.
In a statement, the Mayor said: "The sad and untimely death of John Wrench, and the circumstances surrounding it, are so sad and distressing.
"In this day and age, no one should be forced to sleep on the streets nor ever be forced to spend their final hours there.
"At this awful time, my thoughts are with all who knew John.
"I know local authority staff and volunteers worked with him on a regular basis but sadly he did not feel able to accept the offers of support or accommodation that were made.
"As a city-region, we will keep working to ensure that support is always available and that in Greater Manchester nobody has to sleep rough.
"Tonight we will have more than 520 people supported in A Bed Every Night and many more in emergency accommodation provided by our councils.
"We know there is more to do but our commitment to tackling this is absolute and for the long run."
Police were called to Market Street at around 8.15am on Monday, February 1, to reports of concern for the welfare of a person.
Mr Wrench, originally from Bolton, was declared dead at the scene.
One of five siblings, he had been sleeping rough on a freezing cold night when temperatures were forecast to dip to minus three, and heavy snow was due to hit parts of Greater Manchester.
Known for his passion for Man United and the rapper Eminem, Mr Wrench had a difficult upbringing and struggled with the loss of his mother two years ago, the M.E.N. was told.
According to Jim Hutton of Mad Dogs Homeless Project, a charity that supports people sleeping rough in the city centre, Mr Wrench's family were told a post-mortem examination to establish a cause of death proved inconclusive.
"John and his siblings didn't have a great start in life and were brought up in what we would now term 'extreme poverty'," said Jim.
"It was caused in the main to a parent suffering severe mental health problems which impacted the family and as a result they were deprived of a lifestyle and upbringing many of us take for granted.
"John attended Woodside school in Bolton, a school for children with special needs.
"The family lost mum just over two years ago and this has played a part in causing John to go off the rails."
Mad Dogs has agreed to help cover the cost of the funeral for John and is asking for donations.
You can support the charity here.
