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, 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 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.