A Bradford charity has been awarded £140,000 to help people stop sleeping rough.

It is estimated that 26 people are sleeping rough in Bradford every night – an increase of 300 per cent since 2010 – according to Government figures.

Hope Housing has secured a grant which will be used to set up a hub to act as the first point of contact for homeless people in Bradford.

People using the hub will be assessed and given access to a bed while they are supported in their search for a place to live.

Adam Clarke, project co-ordinator at Hope Housing, said: “We are very thrilled to be given the opportunity to develop a new approach to tackling homelessness in Bradford.

“Despite our helping more than 500 people off the streets in the last five years, the number of people becoming homeless in the city continues to increase.”

Hope Housing says that many of the people sleeping rough are not aware of the support available.

People are asked to play their part by calling StreetLink on 0300 500 0914 or visiting streetlink.org.uk whenever they are concerned that someone is sleeping rough in Bradford. StreetLink will then pass on this information to services.

Sharon Allen, chairman of the Homelessness Transition Fund’s grants panel – where the money came from – said: “We know how damaging spending a night on the streets is to an individual’s well-being. The grants we have awarded so far have helped thousands of people in communities across England.”

The grant is part of a £20 million pot given out by the Homelessness Transition Fund. It is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Bradford is one of 30 communities to get a grant to help get people off the streets.