Shipping containers considered for rough sleepers

Rough sleepers in York could be housed in converted shipping containers and garages as the council looks at new ways to tackle homelessness.

A report to City of York Council said officials might need to move beyond traditional accommodation options as demand for housing continued to grow.

The authority is considering a range of measures, including modular housing schemes that could see homes created quickly.

Officials said there was a need to explore "innovative ideas" as existing accommodation came under increasing pressure.

Council figures showed 800 of the 1,387 active housing applications in mid-October were for one-bedroom properties.

Officers said supported accommodation and hostels run by the authority were helping to prevent rough sleeping but were often operating at, or beyond, capacity.

The report added that people were also spending longer in temporary accommodation than intended because of a shortage of suitable properties.

It warned that problems such as poor mental health and addiction could worsen, the longer people remained without permanent housing.

Cit of York Council wants to increase its stock of one-bedroom homes by 150 over the next four years to support an expected rise in demand through its programme known as Housing First.

The programme aims to provide people with permanent accommodation as quickly as possible, reducing reliance on hostels and temporary housing.

Since the authority adopted its homelessness strategy in 2024, 80 Housing First cases had been supported, with 50 still active, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The report pointed to several factors which had contributed to rough sleeping in York.

It said the city's transport links, tourism industry and the prevalence of county lines gangs had led to a "thriving street community", alongside an influx of people with no local connection to York.

According to the council, 25 people were recorded as sleeping rough in York during 2025-26, down from 30 the previous year - with about half of those counted coming from outside the area.

York has received £483,000 in government funding aimed at reducing rough sleeping, the first instalment of funding due to be provided to councils over three years.

A further £432m of government support for councils beyond next March is expected to be announced in Wednesday's Budget.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.