A major countywide strategy to help reduce homelessness and rough sleeping across North Yorkshire is due to be considered by councillors.
We have drawn up our first-ever homelessness and rough sleeping strategy which reaffirms our ambition to protect vulnerable people and support communities.
The five-year blueprint sets out our vision of preventing homelessness and rough sleeping wherever possible, and, where it cannot be prevented, to ensure it is rare, brief and does not reoccur.
The strategy, which is a legal requirement for local authorities, focuses on partnership working to ensure good quality and stable temporary and long-term housing is available for those who need it most.
That is to be complemented with longer-term support options that are put in place to support vulnerable people in communities across the county.
Our executive member for housing, Councillor Simon Myers, said: “Preventing homelessness and rough sleeping is a significant challenge, with the backdrop of rising housing costs, the need for more affordable housing, and the growing number of people with multiple and complex needs.
“We are seeing increasing demand on our services given the rurality of North Yorkshire, the county’s ageing population and economic inequalities.
“A huge amount of work is ongoing to expand our temporary accommodation offer, invest in new models of supported housing and strengthening our partnerships with the voluntary and community sector. These efforts have recently received praise on a national level.
“We cannot afford to stand still, however, and this wide-reaching strategy, the first of its kind for North Yorkshire, is a collective call to action which reflects our belief that everyone deserves a place to call home and the support they need to keep it.”
The draft strategy sets out the current state of homelessness and rough sleeping in North Yorkshire and outlines four key themes for us and our partners to focus on.
They are preventing homelessness, increasing the availability of suitable accommodation options, increasing the availability and access to support services and reducing rough sleeping.
In 2024, we approved £11.6 million in capital investment to support the development of additional temporary accommodation for the homeless.
Then earlier this year, we became one of the first in the country to introduce a 100% premium for council tax bills on second homes.
The scheme is due to raise more than £10 million annually and will be used to tackle a range of housing issues, including building hundreds of new affordable homes, as well as securing additional temporary accommodation and supported housing.
To help develop the strategy, we have liaised closely with national charity Homeless Link which works directly with people who have become homeless in England. Consultation has also been held with people who use our homelessness services through a series of surveys and focus groups.
The head of national consultancy development at Homeless Link, Sophie Price, said: “We have been very pleased to support North Yorkshire with the homelessness and rough sleeping strategy.
“Everyone deserves the right to a safe and decent place to live. Working together, the council with local voluntary organisations and other accommodation providers can make real steps towards ending homelessness for good.”
Earlier this year, we received praise from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government who complimented the ongoing work in Scarborough and Harrogate, two towns that have among the highest demand in the county for rough sleeping.
To maintain the momentum, we have launched homeless and rough sleeper partnerships and forums, which will see council staff, health practitioners and representatives from both the voluntary and community sectors work together to help oversee the strategy’s delivery.
By sharing best practice and working collaboratively, we aim to deliver high-quality services to meet the needs of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Members of our executive are due to discuss the draft strategy and decide whether it should be adopted in its current form when they meet on Tuesday 16 September.