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New Approach to Homelessness in Scarborough to Deliver Homes and Savings

Tuesday, 25 June 2024 06:00

By Matthew Pells and Stuart Minting, Local Democracy Reporter

The creation of a new "Place of Change" in Scarborough is set to have a big impact on the way homelessness is tackled in the town.

The 20-unit “place of change” will provide a supported housing facility in the town.

North Yorkshire Council has approved funding for the centre which is modelled on an existing scheme in Harrogate, it's expected to be built within four years.

The council's executive member for finance - Councillor Gareth Dadd - says the project has come about as a result of last years local government reorganisation and says he wants to see it delivered much more quickly.

North Yorkshire Council says an investment of £11.6m in the project to tackle homelessness will lead to long term savings.

The Council is going to create 90 living units across the county and the purpose built "place of change" in Scarborough to help alleviate some of the pressure.

Director of Corporate Resources - Gary Fielding - says the project could deliver annual savings of over a million pounds a year.

Currently, the council has access to a ‘core offer’ of 169 units of temporary accommodation, however, demand has outstripped supply in recent years and the number of homeless households placed in temporary accommodation has exceeded that availability.

It is reliant on B&Bs and hotel accommodation which are most utilised in Harrogate and Scarborough.

The authority says that the cost of B&B accommodation is “significantly higher than all alternative forms of provision”.

The council is providing temporary accommodation, such as hotels and bed and breakfasts, to up to 70 families in North Yorkshire at a cost of more than £32,000 annually per bed, exacerbating the authority’s financial woes caused by rising demand for social care and special needs children.The total cost of providing accommodation for homeless people in North Yorkshire had soared by 400 per cent since 2020 to £2m annually.

The purpose-built place of change in Scarborough will be for those who have been long-term homeless in the town and is based on the Fern House hostel in Harrogate, where residents are offered a range of support.

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