YORK'S efforts to tackle homelessness could suffer another cut in Government funding - as the city's problems continue to grow.

A City of York Council report has revealed that 460 people were accepted as homeless in 2003/04, compared to 409 the previous year.

The figure includes an increased number of young people and people with mental health problems.

The increase would have been much higher, but for the work of a new homeless prevention worker, funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

The worker prevented 95 cases of homelessness, for example by working with families to maintain existing tenancies, and now a second worker is being appointed to step up the efforts.

The report, by Becky Ward, service manager for homelessness, says that City of York Council spent £132,000 more in 2003/04 than the £335,000 that had been budgeted.

Government funding for the current financial year has already been slashed to £250,000. It was thought at one stage that this would put a number of homeless support groups at risk, but additional funding from the council's own resources ensured this did not happen.

Funding went towards projects including the Salvation Army's Prevention and Resettlement Team, resettlement services run by the Peasholme Charity, an education and training programme for single homeless people and a housing debt service run by the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Now Ms Ward has revealed that funding is anticipated to remain static in future, or to decrease further - "both of which are likely to have a significant impact on the services provided."

The report does have some good news however, pointing out that there had been hard work over the past year to ensure the number of rough sleepers remained low. The council had successfully achieved a Government target, under which it should no longer use bed and breakfast accommodation for families or pregnant people, other than in emergencies - and even then for no longer than six weeks.

"On March 31, there were no families in bed and breakfast accommodation in York," Ms Ward said.

Planning permission has also been granted for a new women's refuge in York.

Updated: 11:14 Tuesday, June 29, 2004