WHEN it comes to the homelessness problem most of us have chosen to walk by on the other side. Yes, we felt sorry for those figures huddled in shop doorways, particularly on an icy night. But we were not moved enough to do anything about it.

There was nothing we could do, we assured ourselves; this was an insurmountable problem.

Now that lie has been exposed. The remarkable success of programmes to help the homeless proves that something can be done.

Nationally the number of people sleeping rough has fallen by 28 per cent in a year. In York, where once 20 to 30 people were on the streets every night, the figure has fallen as low as two. That is a reversal of the trend that saw homelessness in York leap by 40 per cent in 1999.

Admittedly, these figures are not perfectly accurate. The situation on the street changes nightly. But there is no doubt that the measures to reduce homelessness are working.

We have two groups of people to thank for this good news. Firstly the field workers who have worked tirelessly and quietly to help the homeless for years. In York, that includes the people who run the Peasholme Centre and members of York Arclight Project.

Arclight opened its emergency homeless hostel in the winter, despite opposition from the neighbouring National Railway Museum. NRM bosses were fearful that hostel residents would cause trouble, anxieties that have proved unjustified.

Secondly, we must pay tribute to the Government. Helping the homeless is not a vote winner, yet ministers committed themselves to reducing by two thirds the number of people sleeping rough by two-thirds by 2002. Thanks to their extra funding, spent efficiently by expert agencies like Arclight and the city council, that target looks achievable.

Importantly, the emphasis has now switched from providing emergency shelter to helping homeless people find permanent accommodation.

In other words, the money is being spent not on building more hostels, but on rebuilding lives.