Cash boost to tackle homelessness welcomed

An increase in funding will help address homelessness and rough sleeping in York, the city's council has said.

The local authority is due to receive a near-£1m share from a £1bn government pot announced by Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, this week.

The cash will go towards front-line services to help people off the street and accommodate those facing homelessness.

Councillor Michael Pavlovic, who leads on housing for City of York Council, said the issue was "one of the biggest challenges" facing towns and cities across the UK.

The number of people who were homeless or in danger of losing their home was increasing and the authority was committed to delivering affordable homes, he added.

York spent more than £750,000 on temporary accommodation in the year up to March, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Under the new funding arrangement, councils will be able to channel cash into schemes aimed at getting people into homes with support, as opposed to leaving them in temporary accommodation such as hostels.

The use of emergency accommodation, which often lacks basic facilities such as cooking equipment, has doubled in three years, according to national figures.

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