City of York Council has been awarded a government grant of £251,000 to help reduce homelessness in 2019/20.
The money will contribute to the council’s already extensive work to create safe and supported housing options for people with complex needs who are ready to stop rough sleeping and begin the move back into mainstream housing. This will include an increased use of the council’s ‘making every adult matter service’ (MEAM).
Services provided under the council’s Homelessness Strategy 2018-23 launched in June this year and designed to provide early intervention services will also benefit from the extra funding. It will allow council teams to target additional support towards rough sleepers and single homeless people known to the council but reluctant to move off the street to help them secure and remain in accommodation.
Cllr Helen Douglas, executive member for housing and safer neighbourhoods, said: “We recognise the human cost of rough sleeping in York and have identified actions to tackle this issue by working in more flexible ways, particularly with individuals with whom it is difficult to engage and who may have complex needs.
“Far from resting on the laurels of winning the Gold Standard for Homeless Services - only the third council in the country to do so – we have supported the new early help and prevention hub opened by The Salvation Army earlier this month, and are identifying appropriately safe and supported housing options with our partners across the city.”