Plea for united front to tackle rising tide of county homeless

The call for action comes from York Council’s Cabinet, after it moved to ask officers at the local authority to prepare a special report into the number of people predicted to be made homeless in the coming years as controversial cuts to welfare start to bite while affordable accommodation remains critically low.

Earlier this month, the Yorkshire Post revealed stark warnings that action was needed to prevent a significant rise in homelessness in the “Golden Triangle” between Harrogate, Leeds and York, while last week the leader of Hambleton Council described the lack of affordable accommodation in the county as an issue of “vital importance”.

Now the Labour leader of York Council – where a 57 per cent increase in homelessness was recorded earlier this year and two-thirds of people on housing benefit could soon be priced out of the private rental sector – has urged other North Yorkshire local authorities to work together to prevent the problem spiralling out of control.

Coun James Alexander said: “I am calling for other councils to get on board with us and develop a unified voice for the county.

“As a Cabinet we are very concerned about the effects of government policy to cut housing benefit.

“We have asked for a paper to be prepared by council officers outlining the exact effect of this in York where there are higher than average rent costs and house prices.

“These are problems that will impact worse across North Yorkshire, compared to other parts of the country.”

A leaked letter from the private office of Communities Secretary Eric Pickles emerged earlier this month, predicting the coalition Government’s plans to cut welfare payments risks making 40,000 families homeless.

The letter, from private secretary Nico Heslop, appeared to reflect deep concern in his Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) over the plan to cap total household benefits at £500 a week.

It warned that the estimated £270m annual savings from the plans could be wiped out by the cost to local authorities of rehousing families who can no longer afford to pay for somewhere to live.

And it claimed the welfare cuts will put at risk at least half of the 56,000 affordable homes to rent which the Government hopes will be built by 2015, as contractors have doubts as to whether they will be able to recoup their costs from tenants.

Harrogate Council has warned its housing needs team, which has successfully tackled homelessness acceptances since 2005, is now dealing with around 4,500 enquiries a year and requires an overhaul to cope with increasing pressure once the cuts take root.

While a new homeless strategy report, considered by York’s Council last week, warns of many “unknown factors” affecting the housing service in the year ahead.

York Central MP Hugh Bayley, yesterday joined the calls for a new county-wide strategy.

“Creating a North Yorkshire wide response to this with cross party support will be a very good idea and help enormously,” he said.

“I am worried that people will be made homeless by these new housing benefit rules.

“There will be parts of the county which will be affected particularly badly.

“I strongly support the move for an assessment of the effect this will have in York.

“High house prices and rents mean a number of people will be forced out of their homes.”

A DCLG spokesman said: “The Government is committed to tackling and preventing homelessness, working in partnership with voluntary sector partners, local authorities and housing associations.”