ROUGH sleepers in York claim they have been abused, attacked and urinated on, a major report has revealed.

But the York 'human rights indicator report' says the numbers of rough sleepers in the city fell dramatically last year, possibly because of the increased number of emergency overnight beds provided.

It says rough sleepers were interviewed and they all aspired towards having their own place but found getting off the street could be complicated, with high rents, limited income and shortages of suitable housing often lengthening the time they spent rough sleeping.

"Most of the participants we talked to who sleep rough said they had been the victims of physical or verbal harassment," it said. "Attacks included name-calling, physical assaults and being urinated on.

"Rough sleepers often face stigma and marginalisation and this can severely impact their ability to claim basic human rights, or their perceptions about why access to services is denied to them."

The report, produced by the York: Human Rights City network, says one rough sleeper claimed he was refused a hospital stay upon contracting pneumonia as soon as staff knew he was homeless.

Another said he went to the Minster Steps because he knew there were tourists constantly going past and he knew 'no one was going to come up at random and attack me'.

The report says rough sleeping had increased rapidly in York in the previous five years, with 29 rough sleepers identified in the annual count in 2017 compared with nine in 2013.

"However, the latest (2018) rough sleeper count indicates a dramatic fall in the number of rough sleepers in York to just nine individuals," it says. "We cautiously welcome the reduction in people sleeping on the streets.

"This is likely to be partly due to the increased number of emergency overnight beds available in the city, especially between November and March."

The report recommends that City of York Council should review how housing officers and service providers are implementing a 'Housing First' policy in the city to ensure it adheres to its human rights framework for all people, and should also take steps to "identify and sanction the small number of private landlords that provide substandard housing".

Tom Brittan, the council's assistant director for housing and community safety, said: “We welcome this report commissioned by the city’s Human Rights Steering Group, of which the council is a member.

"The purpose of the report is to help us identify areas that are working and those that need looking at. The report draws on a wide variety of opinions in the city including those whose voice is not always heard and we value the insights it brings.

"The council’s homeless service is recognised as one of the first authorities in the UK to gain gold standard service and we recognise how important it is to protect residents’ human rights. We are already working hard to address the complex issues around homelessness highlighted in the report.”

Other findings in the report include: 

>>> How the use of foodbanks in York has soared by a quarter 

>>> York's life expectancy area by area

>>>How a lack of pitches is affecting the mental health of travellers

The report can be downloaded here

For more information about York being the UK's first human rights city visit https://www.yorkhumanrights.org/