New bid to get rough sleepers off Harrogate district’s streets

Harrogate Borough Council plans to buy three houses in town to reduce the number of rough sleepers.

The government’s £105 million Everyone In scheme funded organisations that help rough sleepers during the first lockdown.

Now ministers have set up a new programme called Next Steps, which provides further funding.

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Harrogate Borough Council bid for £1,084,570 from the programme to help with short and long term interventions on rough sleeping in the district.

However, the government looks set to offer the authority £449,326 – nearly half the amount requested.

Once finalised, the council intends to use the funding to buy three former council dwellings to house those people at risk.

The authority has estimated the cost of purchasing the three homes will be £696,000, which officials say would be funded from both the grant and the authority’s housing revenue account.

Town centre locations

A report due before senior councillors on the the council’s cabinet today said the homes would be prioritised within the town area.

It says:

“The property purchases will be prioritised within the Harrogate town area In order to provide proximity to services for rough sleepers and that each potential purchase will be approved by the head of housing and property before an offer on each of the properties is made.”

Senior councillors have been recommended to delegate power to the head of housing to accept the the grants from government, subject to confirmation.

Local authorities were encouraged to house rough sleepers temporarily under the Everyone In initiative during the first lockdown.

The borough council housed people in hostels in the town, as well as in Leeds.

According to council figures, 29 rough sleepers in the district were taken off the streets, of which 10 are still being supported by the authority.

The Stray Ferret asked the council what has happened to the remaining 19 which were housed, but has yet to receive a response.

Visible return of rough sleeping in Harrogate as lockdown eases

With more tents and sleeping bags on the streets, there has been a visible return of homeless people and rough sleepers around Harrogate.

Back at the start of the lockdown, the government rolled out the ‘Everyone’s in’ scheme to put people in hostels, hotels, and B&Bs.

Harrogate Borough Council housed its homeless community in hostels in the town as well as hostels and hotels in Leeds as part of that scheme.

Both the council and the Harrogate Homeless Project (HHP) worked with them to give them medication, food, laundry facilities, showers, and around 25 mobile phones.

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Neither the charity nor the local authority believes that there has been an actual rise in homeless numbers, just that some people in temporary accommodation are venturing out more.

Liz Hancock, the chief executive of HHP, told The Stray Ferret:

“We have been working hard to maintain our services during coronavirus while also keep our staff and clients safe. We do have worries about the mental health of those shielding when they are stuck inside for so long, we have distributed puzzles, books, and colouring activities to help.”

She added that she is worried about the homeless people it looks after venturing outside more and potentially bringing coronavirus back into its hostels.

But Liz Hancock also insisted that when the ‘Everyone’s in’ scheme comes to an end, homeless people will not just be turned out onto the streets. What happens next is up to the council.

What is the council’s homeless plan?

With the £3.2 billion ‘Everyone’s in’ scheme comes to an end soon, the council will work with those in temporary accommodation to find a more permanent place.

Part of the council’s plan is to get more people into Avondale Hostel, which it has just bought. It plans to renovate the building and make sure that it is only families living there.

This is the plan for the Spa Lane hostel.

Another key part is the council’s new hostel on Spa Lane. The construction works have been delayed and the expected completion date of October has been moved back to early next year.

Cllr Mike Chambers, the cabinet member for safer communities, told The Stray Ferret:

“It was a major challenge bringing in rough sleepers, we do not have that many but we do have some. We managed to make sure that all those who wanted to come inside could do. We will give everyone in temporary accommodation an opportunity to get more permanent accommodation.”