A York charity says homeless people in the city need more out of hours help.
Kitchen For Everyone made the observation as City of York Council prepares a new policy designed to make homelessness ‘rare, brief and non-recurring’.
The council has published its draft homelessness and rough sleeping strategy, and is calling on interested parties to feed back on the plans.
Under the strategy, the aim is to “to offer people who are homeless or facing homelessness, quick routes into suitable housing”.
The council says: “Key to the success of this strategy, is working with partners to build up the supply of suitable and affordable homes.”
Kitchen For Everyone is a registered charity providing meals to the homeless and vulnerable of York.
A spokesperson told us on of their key concerns was an out-of-hours service. “Who to call when someone is wet, cold and on the street after offices have closed?
“What options are available to vulnerable people then? Early on a Sunday or at our service on a Wednesday evening we often see people in need and all we can offer is a warm meal and some phone numbers but rarely anyone that answers calls in those hours.
How to help
- If you know anyone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, please contact the Housing Options Team or telephone: 01904 554500.
- For a bed and support out of rough sleeping, Navigators can help. You can also call or text them on telephone: 0751 116 1169 or email: [email protected].
- Donate or volunteer your time at Kitchen for Everyone
“It’s very difficult – there’s not a simple fix and we don’t know the full back story on people that appear at our services so can only do so much.”
The charity welcomed the council strategy’s “perfect aim – but not one council can ever solve all the issues of homelessness completely.”
It believes “a revised model with mental health specialists and considerations of other specialist service areas” could be “really important” for the most vulnerable people in York.
Kitchen For Everyone provides evening outreach services and Sunday drop-ins where they serve warm meals, supply hygiene products and offer a friendly face and a conversation.
The spokesperson added: “As a charity only run by volunteers, we don’t always have time to think about the bigger picture so sometimes have to leave that to those in paid positions to follow through on.”
The council’s last annual rough sleeper count found that at least 15 people were sleeping rough. Nationally, the number of rough sleepers was up a quarter in 2023.
In 2022, homeless charity Shelter estimated that 108 people were homeless in York each night.
The cost-of-living crisis has seen an increase in those at risk of becoming homeless, as rent prices in York skyrocket. Council data says more than 1,500 people are on the waiting list for a property in the city.