Devon County Council could stop funding homelessness services

The council says a decision has not yet been made

Devon County Council is consulting on proposals to stop funding adult homelessness services across the county.

The council said it could no longer afford the funding, and that dropping it would save about £1.5m a year.

Charity YMCA Exeter, which receives more than £150,000 from the council, said removing preventative care would increase the burden on public services.

Another charity, St Petrock's, said a funding cut would be "disastrous".

The proposals come as new figures reveal the estimated number of rough sleepers in Devon increased by 28% last year to 113.

The council's current contribution is delivered through a contract with five providers who support about 250 people at any one time, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

YMCA Exeter warned that more than 100 young adults a year could continue to face homelessness and "no longer have access to tailored wellbeing support, unable to move beyond their circumstances and thrive again."

It added: "Without the essential prevention measures YMCA Exeter provides, Devon County Council could find themselves covering an average bill of over £924,000 a year in adult social care costs, rather than the current £157,000 they give to YMCA Exeter."

'We're horrified'

Peter Stephenson, St Petrock's director, said: "This is disastrous for people at risk of homelessness in Exeter and across Devon, who are some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

"We're horrified at the widespread human suffering this could cause and are urgently considering how we can support all those who are forced on to the streets as a result."

A spokesperson for Devon County Council said it had budgeted to increase spending in services supporting vulnerable children, young people and adults.

"To prioritise spending on our statutory responsibilities, we have to make savings in the region of £45m from elsewhere and get the best possible outcomes from every single penny we spend," they said.

"While we've been able to help fund this support service in the past, even though it falls outside our statutory adult social care responsibilities, sadly, we can no longer afford to do so."

The council said a decision would not be made until it had considered consultation responses.