HOMELESSNESS in Oxford is to be tackled this year with a £600,000 grant.

The Government grant to Oxford City Council will be used to continue funding specialist workers.

It will continue paying for 12 jobs, including specially-trained drugs and alcohol abuse workers, with part of the cash going towards extra beds at the city night shelter in Luther Street and a motivational programme for 'substance abusers'.

Oxford has the worst homelessness problem outside inner London, with 17 families in every 1,000 deemed homeless.

The term does not only define those sleeping rough, but also families waiting for council houses and those thrown out by parents or landlords. However, the cash will be used mainly to fund services for those on the streets.

Recent counts have put the number of individuals sleeping rough on Oxford's streets at about 15, but experts estimate the real total could be treble that.

City council homeless manager Nerys Parry said: "Rough sleeping and homelessness is a complicated field and we need a variety of services provided by a variety of people.

"People misunderstand homelessness - the traditional view is that people are homeless because they just can't be bothered, but the reality is a different thing.

"It could happen to anybody and that's a concept people don't understand."

The money will fund:

  • A team of five to visit and encourage homeless people into temporary accommodation - £195,420
  • Two resettlement workers at Lucy Faithful House - £59,415
  • A full-time substance misuse worker at Simon House - £43,882
  • One full-time complex needs worker - £37,768
  • A full-time worker to provide support to those who have left hostels - £33,236
  • One full-time alcohol abuse specialist worker - £33,236
  • One full-time resettlement worker supporting 16- to 25-year-olds - £31,165 There are four homeless hostels in the city - Oxford Night Shelter, The Bridge, Lucy Faithful House and Simon House - with a total of 191 beds.

However, demand outstrips supply and building more hostels in the city "would be like adding a fourth motorway lane", according to Lesley Dewhurst, director of the Oxford Night Shelter, who argued it would act as a magnet to homeless people in other cities.

She said: "If I was to go out tonight and find ten people (sleeping rough) the true figure would be double - at least - or treble.

"We know of people sleeping rough - but we would not find them of a night.

"Things are generally changing for the better, but until we have affordable housing for all sections of the community we will have homelessness."