COOLING-OFF centres where youngsters can go after a family row have been welcomed by homelessness managers in York and North Yorkshire.

Communities secretary Ruth Kelly yesterday revealed plans to establish "supported lodgings schemes" with £74 million of Government cash.

The schemes will offer accommodation, advice and mediation services to young people, and will act as a bridge to help them resolve family problems and prevent them ending up on the streets.

Becky Ward, service manager for homelessness at City of York Council, said: "We welcome this announcement from Ruth Kelly, as youth homelessness is an issue in York and this initiative will help move provision forwards.

"The new initiative contains real elements of support which would help a young person and I am pleased to say that several similar schemes already exist in York."

Homelessness figures released for the period from September to November, 2006, show there are 2,100 "homeless households" in temporary accommodation in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The charity Shelter reported in September that there were 237 homeless households in temporary accommodation in York, with 31 in Selby, 30 in Ryedale, 118 in Harrogate, 69 in Scarborough and 29 in Hambleton.

The Government aims to halve the number of people in temporary accommodation by 2010.

Ms Ward said: "Current figures show the number of households in temporary accommodation (in York) has decreased to 229, on line to meet Government targets."

North Yorkshire county councillor Caroline Patmore, children and young person's services chief, said: "I don't think there will be a great demand for cooling-down centres in the more rural parts of the county, but there may be a greater role for them to play in the more urban areas, such as Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby."

Ms Kelly was speaking on the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking film, Cathy Come Home, which exposed the reality of homelessness.

Ms Kelly said: "While a great deal has been achieved, there is no room for complacency while more than 90,000 households are living in temporary accommodation without the security of a settled home."