CITY of York council has secured more than £1.3 million extra funding for the next three years to support people on the streets.

The council has been awarded £1,327,555 for 2022/23 from the Department of Housing and Levelling Up as part of their Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI).

This will allow the council and partners to continue offering people who are sleeping on the streets the tailored support they need to help them into more secure accommodation.

Cllr Denise Craghill, executive member for Housing and Safer Communities, said: "People’s average life expectancy plummets from 83 to 47 years when they live on the streets.

"This funding is a welcome addition to our continuing work to prevent homelessness and to help more people out of rough sleeping.

“This funding will be used to support ongoing work to prevent people resorting to unsafe sleeping outdoors, while also developing new ways of addressing the individual needs of each person we work with.

“The three-year award also complements our investment in providing high levels of support for people with complex needs - such as substance abuse and mental ill health – to help them to live independently and well, and to avoid them ending up back on the street.”

Much of the RSI-funded work in York is done by a specialist team known as Rough Sleeper Housing Navigators.

The team follows up reports of people sleeping rough by finding them and offering ongoing support.

The team has helped hundreds of people into stable, long term housing by tailoring support to their individual needs, the council says.

Changing Lives, a drug and alcohol service in Walmgate, supports rough sleepers who need help with substance abuse and to improve their mental health.

Donna Kennelly, Service Manager at Changing Lives, said: "Local RSI funding has enabled Changing Lives to double the capacity of our MEAM (Making Every Adult Matter) team in York.

"The team works in partnership with other agencies supporting those who are living complex lives in challenging circumstances to make positive, sustainable changes to their lives.

“The team provides intensive tailored support to individuals facing multiple disadvantage, including entrenched rough sleepers, those experiencing mental ill health, substance misuse issues and contact with the criminal justice system.

"The RSI funding received has been vital in allowing the team to expand on the work they do alongside partners in the city.”

For more information, please visit www.york.gov.uk/roughsleeping.

If you see someone sleeping outdoors, please call the StreetLink national rough sleeper reporting line on 0300 5000 914.