MORE than 1,550 nights of rough sleeping have been prevented and 165 people rehoused in Bradford since a charity started its new project a little more than six months ago.

Hope Housing was awarded £140,000 through the Homeless Transition Fund to open an Assessment Centre for rough sleepers at the start of the year and says the demand has been "overwhelming."

The centre opened in Green Lane, Manningham, on February 28 and the charity says there has been great demand for the support it offers.

Project co-ordinator for Hope Housing, Adam Clark, said: "We are delighted to have been able to launch this new service for rough sleepers in Bradford.

"The number of people in need of our help over the last six months has been quite overwhelming at times. But we are pleased to see that this project is effective and can help many people off the streets.

"Rough sleeping has a massive detrimental impact on the lives of individuals but also on the wider community. We are really pleased to know this project is having a real impact and making a difference in Bradford.

"We are preparing now for the winter ahead, which is a time we anticipate that our Assessment Centre will be needed more than ever."

The centre offers emergency accommodation and has specialist 'move on' workers who help homeless people find longer term accommodation and support people moving off the streets.

The Assessment Centre has prevented more than1,550 nights of rough sleeping across the Bradford district and has worked with many other organisations to help people find sustainable accommodation.

It has been supported by Bradford Council and social housing landlord Incommunities allowed Hope Housing to use a building for the project.

Councillor Val Slater, the Council's portfolio holder for housing, said: "The figures are brilliant. Out partnership working with Hope Housing has been very successful and I'm pleased to see the numbers of people that they've been able to help through, what has obviously been, a difficult time."

An Incommunities spokesman said: "We are delighted by the positive impact that this homeless service is having in helping people access suitable housing and also preventing cases of rough sleeping.

"We are proud to support this service provided by Hope Housing. They are making a real difference to the lives of hundreds of vulnerable people by helping them take the right path into sustainable housing."

Hope Housing takes referrals over the phone to help anyone who is homeless or at risk of sleeping rough. The referral line number is (01274) 900764.