Bradford Council will be handed more than £250,000 in the next three years to tackle homelessness in the area.

Housing minister Iain Wright said the cash injection would help people sleeping on the streets or those staying in bed and breakfast accommodation.

The Government announced yesterday Council chiefs will get £85,000 each year until 2010/11.

Nationally £150 million will be paid out over the three-year period in homelessness grants.

Mr Wright said the cash will help councils step up their work to prevent and tackle the problem and welcomed new cases of homelessness being at the lowest level for 20 years, with rough sleeping falling by two-thirds and a fall in the use of temporary accommodation.

But he conceded: "We know there is much still to do. We want to help families living in temporary accommodation into a settled home, provide better opportunities for young people facing homelessness and make further reductions in rough sleeping."

Cash could be used to fund prevention schemes, including rent deposits, mediation services, outreach and day centres, which the Government attribute to the continual fall in numbers.

But Bradford Council leader Kris Hopkins criticised the disparity in funding across the region with Leeds being handed £440,000 each year.

He said: "This settlement amounts to an effective ten per cent reduction in real terms between now and 2010 once inflation is taken into account."

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