York council boss Claire Douglas insists her authority’s new rough sleeping strategy – which has no room for the Salvation Army’s early intervention rough-sleeping programme - is designed to ‘provide the right support at the right pace for those that need it’.

The council is to receive almost £266,000 over the next two years from the government’s rough sleeping initiative. This is in addition £500,000 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities over the same period.

The council says the funding will be used to increase specialist support for people sleeping rough - partly by recruiting more in-house ‘rough sleeping housing navigators’.

READ MORE: York council to axe grant for Salvation Army rough-sleeping service

The authority says the navigators work with people ‘at risk of, and actually sleeping rough. They are there in the early morning and daytime, on York’s streets and at breakfast sessions and carefully build trust. Knowing where people sleep rough and the complex issues they face, the navigators work to get to know each individual and to best match their needs with suitable accommodation and an appropriate level of support’.

Cllr Douglas said: “Whether the problem is poor mental health, dealing with drug or alcohol abuse, relationship breakdown or serious financial problems, services are designed to provide the right support at the right pace for those that need it. This aims to help each person into suitable accommodation and to offer them a package of support that helps them live independently and well, and to avoid them returning to the street.”

But council housing navigators currently only do an early-morning check on rough sleepers one day a week. The Salvation Army’s early intervention team are out at 5am five days a week – leading to questions about what will happen when their funding ceases at the end of next month.

There are also questions over the future of the NAPpad - a mobile night-shelter with four self-contained units for rough sleepers – currently run by the Salvation Army.

The council says it hopes to buy the NAPpad from the Salvation Army – but The Press understands this may not be possible.

  • City of York Couincil says if you see anyone sleeping rough outdoors, you can call StreetLink's national rough sleeper repoprting line on 0300 5000 914. They will then notify the council so they can offer help