Flats for young homeless people to be built in town

Funding has been awarded to create accommodation in Darlington for rough sleepers

Plans for new housing in a town to help people at risk of homelessness have received a financial boost.

Darlington Borough Council has received more than £770,000 from the government to build 12 flats.

The one-bedroom, self-contained flats will be for young adults, aged 18 to 24, who are either rough sleeping or at risk.

There are also plans to deliver housing-related support to the people in the flats through the charity Humankind, the council said.

Over the past three years, the council, run by a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition, said it had continued to deal with a “significant increase” in demand for its homeless and housing services.

In 2022-23, 395 households were placed in temporary accommodation, compared with 281 for the previous year - an increase of 41%.

Funding will come from the government's Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme.

Councillor Matthew Roche, cabinet member for health and housing, said the funding was "great news".

He added: “Sadly, levels of homelessness are at unbelievably high levels in England and this is one of many actions we are taking to tackle it here in Darlington."

Charity Humankind will also deliver housing-related support to the people in the flats, helping them gain the skills to manage and sustain tenancies and provide opportunities to move on to permanent homes, the council said.

Full details of the scheme are due to be released later this year.