HELP for Blackpool's homeless is on the way after a successful bid by the council secured funds from the Government's Rough Sleepers Initiative.

Blackpool has been chosen as one of six areas in the country to benefit from the money which will pay for an outreach worker and a resettlement worker in the resort.

Now councillors, housing officials, and voluntary workers are meeting to discuss where workers should be based and how they could best operate.

The successful bid for Blackpool was made by the vice-chairman of the housing committee Councillor Craig Matthews, drawing on the findings of 50 volunteers who went out on to the streets to count the number of people sleeping under the stars.

The volunteers found that most of the people sleeping rough were aged between 25 and 40.

Coun Matthews commented: "Blackpool has three hostels, but only one caters for over-25s, so this is a problem which obviously needs addressing.

"We have also found that most rough sleepers who are resettled are moved into bed and breakfast accommodation which is inappropriate for their needs so they end up back on the streets."

Principal housing advice officer Susan Walsh welcomed the new money and is planning to visit London and Bristol to see how the scheme works there.

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