Property plan to help young homeless people in Herefordshire

Young people would have support workers to help them navigate finances and accommodation, the council said

A council will spend nearly £1m from the government to help buy properties to house young homeless people.

Herefordshire Council will use the £910,000 Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme grant to help purchase at least 10 properties.

The money, from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, is specifically for 18-25 year olds in danger of becoming homeless.

A further revenue grant of £478,615 will pay for support workers.

These workers will help them manage their finances and accommodation, attend appointments and "become tenancy ready", the council's notice of the award said.

The authority said it knew of 101 young people who had either been put up in temporary accommodation or were sleeping rough in Herefordshire over the past three years.

Caring for people vulnerable to homelessness, particularly those brought up in its care, is a statutory requirement of the council.

The properties have not yet been identified, but "will be self-contained accommodation suitable for young people, disabled people and/or people with accessibility issues, subject to the market value", the council said.

It will also use so-called Section 106 developer money arising from an estate built at Lea near Ross on Wye for the project.

In total, it expects to spend £1.81m on the properties, which includes £150,000 to refurbish them.

Opposition groups on the council have supported the move.