More than a million pound has been allocated to City of York and
North Yorkshire Councils aimed at ending rough sleeping across
the Region.
At its meeting on November 6 the cabinet of York and North
Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) approved the allocation of
funding under the Government's Rough Sleeper Programme (RSP) to
enable people sleeping rough across York and North Yorkshire to
be offered a route off the streets by Christmas.
City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council will receive a
share of £1,062,675 in the first year of the scheme (RSP), to
offer accommodation and support to rough sleepers across the
Region.
At its meeting on November 6 the cabinet of York and North
Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) also approved its
Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan, which will be
submitted to Government in early December. The plan seeks to make
homelessness and rough sleeping rare, brief and non-recurring in
our region.
York and North Yorkshire Mayor, said: "Not everyone has a
safe place to call home, so by Christmas we'll offer everyone a
route off the streets.
"With this extra funding we're strengthening the work already
happening here, and tackling the root causes that prevent people
getting the support they need.
"Working together, we can help some of the most vulnerable people
in the county and deliver on our national drive to end
homelessness."
The RSP funding, which was allocated to YNYCA from the Ministry
for, Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is part of
a proposed three-year funding programme with a total allocation
of £4.3 million up to and including 2028/29 - subject to
confirmation by MHCLG.
In year-one City of York Council will receive £484,314 while
North Yorkshire Council gets £578,361. The councils plan to
use the funding for measures such as rapid support and
accommodation for people sleeping rough, alongside support for
the most long-term affected and the delivery of longer-term
accommodation.
Cllr Anna Perrett, Executive Member for Housing at City of York
Council, said: York has a great track record in meeting its
commitment to rough sleepers and providing safe routes off the
street; no one who wants a place to stay need sleep on our
streets.
This funding will enhance existing support in helping us move
rough sleepers in York into the safe and stable accommodation
they need. It will be allocated in line with the city and region
approach we are developing, which will be presented in a new
Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy action plan to Executive
next month.
We are working closely with partner organisations across the city
including those in health, probation and voluntary and community
organisations to ensure that we continue to offer the best
possible solutions to each person sleeping rough in York.
By working directly with people sleeping rough to meet their
individual needs, we can find them suitable accommodation with
tailored support, and ultimately a lasting tenancy that helps get
them back on their feet.
North Yorkshire Council's leader and member of the Combined
Authority, Cllr Carl Les said: Everyone deserves a safe and
secure place to live, yet preventing homelessness and rough
sleeping remains a significant challenge against a backdrop of
rising housing costs and a growing number of people with multiple
and complex needs.
We already have strong plans in place to tackle homelessness and
rough sleeping. We are investing more than £11 million in
temporary accommodation to help meet increasing demand and are
using funding generated through the second homes council tax
premium to deliver a new supported housing scheme for people with
a history of rough sleeping who need long-term support.
This funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority
will build on that work, helping more people off the streets and
into stable accommodation, with the support they need to rebuild
their lives.
According to the Government, rough sleeping has been on the rise
nationally in recent years. Statistics show 4,793 people were
estimated to be rough sleeping on a single night in autumn 2025
last year. In August, the Government reinforced its ambition to
end rough sleeping by announcing its Rough Sleeping Programme.
