AN LA-style scheme to help combat homelessness is proving a success in getting people off the streets in Bradford.

Housing First, a partnership between the Bridge Project, Bradford Council and housing providers which was piloted in the district in 2018, is based on an international initiative and is helping rough sleepers with complex needs turn their lives around.

Rather than the traditional approach, which is often to place rough sleepers in homeless hostels, Housing First provides the individual with their own home and tenancy, with intensive open-ended support.

The aim is to give people back control of their own lives and having a stable home provides them with an environment to tackle their demons and adapt to independent living.

Jon Royle, Bridge Project chief executive, said: “The service has been operating in Bradford since August 2018 and so far, we have helped over 30 people with the most complex lives.

"Investing in this way saves the public purse money in the long run, because many of our beneficiaries have spent decades in and out of hospital, prison and homeless hostels without making substantial progress.

It is a compassionate, humane response to help a small group of people who have had incredibly difficult and challenging lives fulfil their potential and gain a level of dignity that most of us take for granted

One person helped by the project in Bradford is Michael, who has spent three decades living on the streets, apart from brief stays in homeless shelters.

As a client of Housing First, he has managed to hold down his tenancy for two years and receive treatment for mental health issues and alcohol dependency.

When he came into the scheme, he had pneumonia as a result of living on the streets and this has been successfully treated.

He now attends a day centre where he has made new friends and interests and has just started volunteering as he has a strong desire to put something back into the community.

He said: "At first I had very little trust in anyone and was just waiting to die.

"Gradually I came to believe that my worker really cared and wanted to help.

I actually cried with relief when I got my own home, you’ve no idea how it felt just being able to have my own front door between me and the world, I was frightened all of the time I was out there on the streets

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council's portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport, said: “Helping homeless people is an important priority for the council and we are delighted our Housing First pilot has proven to be so successful.

"This approach helps people with complex needs into a house and then offers them intensive wraparound support, rather than attempting to address their issues before providing housing.

"Housing First has proven to be highly effective in Los Angeles where it was developed so we are very pleased we have been able to make it part of our permanent approach here in Bradford.”

So far, almost all of the people referred to the Housing First scheme have managed to maintain their tenancies and stabilise their lives.