More than £1 million is being allocated to councils in North Yorkshire and York as part of a drive to offer everyone sleeping rough a route off the streets by Christmas.
York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has approved £1,062,675 in government funding to help people sleeping rough find accommodation and receive the support they need.
The money will be shared between North Yorkshire Council, which will receive £578,361, and City of York Council, which has been allocated £484,314.
The funding was approved by the combined authority’s cabinet on November 6 as part of the Government’s Rough Sleeping Programme.
It forms the first year of a proposed three-year programme worth £4.3 million up to 2028/29, although funding for subsequent years remains subject to government confirmation.
The two councils intend to use the money to provide rapid support and accommodation for people sleeping rough, alongside more intensive help for those who have been homeless for longer periods.
The funding will also support the provision of longer-term accommodation to help prevent people returning to the streets.
York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith 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 combined authority’s cabinet also approved a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan, which will be submitted to the Government in early December.
The plan aims to make homelessness and rough sleeping rare, brief and non-recurring across the region.
North Yorkshire Council leader Cllr Carl Les said tackling homelessness remained a major challenge because of rising housing costs and an increasing number of people with complex needs.
He 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.”
Cllr Les said the additional funding would build on the council’s existing work, helping more people into stable accommodation with support to rebuild their lives.
City of York Council’s executive member for housing, Cllr Anna Perrett, said the funding would strengthen existing efforts to help rough sleepers find safe and stable accommodation.
She 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.”
Cllr Perrett said the council would continue working with health services, probation teams and voluntary organisations to provide tailored support for people experiencing homelessness.
She added: “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.”
The funding comes amid concerns about rising levels of rough sleeping nationally.
Government figures estimate that 4,793 people were sleeping rough across England on a single night in autumn 2025.
The Government announced its Rough Sleeping Programme in August as part of its wider ambition to end rough sleeping.
Be the first to comment