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You are here: Home Page > Housing > Housing Advice > Homelessness

One of the Council's major housing responsibilities is in relation to homelessness and the provision of housing advice and assistance. The Council has a duty to investigate applications from homeless persons for the provision of housing accommodation and to secure temporary accommodation for them pending permanent rehousing where the Council owes them such a duty. Over the last four years there has been a marked increase in such applications, rising from 73 in 2001/02 to 175 in 2004/05. There are a number of reasons for this, but the increase is predominantly due to recent legislative changes in relation to priority need, an inability to access the housing market due to escalating housing costs, loss of private sector accommodation and relationship breakdown within the family. Of those households that applied to the Council in 2004/05, a total of 66 were assessed as being owed a duty by the Council to secure accommodation for them. This is a 29% increase on the previous year.

A major challenge for the coming year will be to try and secure additional temporary accommodation for homeless applicants, both to afford them a degree of stability pending the offer of permanent accommodation and to reduce the current levels of expenditure associated with the existing arrangements. Additional government support, which has been available for the last two years, will continue to be available and every effort will be made to utilise this funding to the benefit of homeless applicants.

 

If you feel you would like to talk to one of our officers regarding the above service please contact the Housing section on 01653 600666 ext 291 or ext 266 or via email at housing@ryedale.gov.uk. or refer to our publication "Homeless in Ryedale".

 

The following are examples of some initiatives which have been developed by the Council to assist people to access private sector accommodation.

 

One of the major obstacles homeless people face in gaining access to the private rented sector is their inability to meet the landlord's requirements for a deposit or bond. In order to reduce the number of local homeless people who are failing to gain access to such accommodation, the Council set up a Bond Guarantee Scheme ten years ago. To date the scheme has assisted 108 households into private accommodation and there are currently six households participating in the scheme.

 

For more information please contact Housing on 01653 600666 ext 265 or email housing@ryedale.gov.uk.

 

The Council has set up a Rent in Advance scheme to try and alleviate problems accessing the private rented sector for housing benefit claimants. Rent in Advance is available up to a maximum of £350.

 

For more information please contact Housing on 01653 600666 ext 265 or email housing@ryedale.gov.uk.

 

The Council works in partnership with the York Community Furniture Store to ensure their services are available to residents of Ryedale. The store is available to anyone on a means-tested benefit such as Housing Benefit, Jobseekers' Allowance and Income Support. It enables those in most need to purchase good quality, second-hand furniture at a fraction of the normal cost. Deliveries and collections are available on a Friday in Ryedale.

 

For further details, contact York Community Furniture Store on 01904 426444.

 

Ryedale Nightstop was established in January 2003 to provide emergency accommodation for vulnerable young people aged 16-25 who are experiencing homelessness in the Ryedale area. The accommodation provided is in the home of trained volunteers, who offer a friendly welcome, bed, breakfast and an evening meal and the chance to take a bath or shower. We also have volunteer drivers who provide transport to and from the host's home.

 

In 2004/05 there were 14 referrals to Nightstop. Reasons for the young persons homelessness were:-

For further details about the scheme or becoming a volunteer, please contact Kim Robertshaw, Senior Housing Officer on ext355 or e-mail: kim.robertshaw@ryedale.gov.uk.