OXFORD City Council is set to provide more beds for rough sleepers who before may not have been eligible for help.

This winter the council will provide up to 74 extra beds for rough sleepers without a connection to Oxford as part of a government-funded pilot project.

Until now a rough sleeper needed to have a connection to the area to be eligible for supported housing beds in Oxford’s hostels and 'move-on accommodation' – known as the adult homeless pathway.

The beds will be made available thanks to the development of homeless services in the city and the council’s successful bid to the government’s temporary Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI).

The scheme has provided an additional £503,000 for homeless support in 2018/19, and has provisionally awarded a further £511,000 for 2019/20.

Deputy leader of Oxford City Council and board member for leisure and housing, Linda Smith, said: “Homelessness is a national crisis, but Oxford does significantly more than most cities to prevent and reduce rough sleeping.

“Nevertheless, many of those sleeping rough in the city have previously not been eligible to access Oxford’s homeless pathway.

“Now, with the help of additional temporary government funding, we are working with partners to ensure Oxford can accommodate up to 74 people without a local connection – including satellite facilities in Abingdon and Banbury.”

The new beds also include an extra 10 beds being offered at the church-led Oxford Winter Night Shelter (OWNS) which operated from January until the end of March.