Council homelessness plan to provide 250 homes

A council has said it will increase the number of available new homes as part of its latest plan to help tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in York.

On Thursday, the City of York Council's executive approved the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, which is based on projects already underway in Greater Manchester and Finland.

Michael Pavlovic, the councillor responsible for housing, said it marked a departure from previous methods which had not worked.

He said: "We're still seeing rough sleepers on our streets every day and the numbers are going up, not just in York but nationally."

He added: "I've been contacted by parents who say their child has failed in hostels time and again and is back on the street. This will help people like that."

The scheme will get people into permanent homes in the short-term rather than temporary accommodation such as hostels, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The authority said it hoped to increase its stock of single-bed homes to 250 in the next five years.

Liberal Democrat opposition deputy leader, Paula Widdowson, said there were already people on waiting lists for housing and acquiring properties would put further strain council resources.

She said she was concerned about the level of resources going into acquiring single-bed flats and supporting the integration of people into neighbourhoods.

She said: "We want assurances that existing residents will be supported.

"At the same time there's many people on the council house waiting list who would be interested in living in these one-bed apartments.

"We're concerned the strategy could mean people see becoming homeless as the only viable way of getting a one-bed flat on a social rent."

According to authority figures, there were 1,477 people on waiting lists for council houses in York as of September and, this year, 736 households needed homelessness prevention or relief support.

Government figures showed 55 people slept rough in York in September, up 4% on last year, with 20 of them having done so long-term.

Mr Pavlovic said: "Homeless people aren't a distinct entity, many of them are also on council house waiting lists.

"They're human beings who deserve our support in the same way that anyone on the waiting list does.

"We're taking them out of hostels and helping them to develop independent, safe and healthy lives."

The strategy followed a council report that found a lack of affordable housing was one of the main drivers of homelessness in York.

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