The numbers of people sleeping rough in Bradford every night is on the rise.

Increased demand for shelter has led Bradford's Inn Churches charity to expand its scheme opening up churches to the homeless over winter.

The scheme will run for three weeks longer than previously and will be held at 18 churches district-wide, five more than last year.

While temporary shelters offer emergency accommodation over winter months, the longer-term aim of organisations helping the homeless is to help rough sleepers get into more settled housing.

Bradford-based Hope Housing has been awarded a £140,000 grant to set up a ‘hub’ acting as the first point of contact for homeless people in the city.

Based on the ‘No Second Night Out’ principle piloted in London – providing a rapid response to new rough sleepers, and an offer that means they don’t have to sleep out for a second night – the centre is aimed at improving the assessment and identification of homeless people, and their access to emergency accommodation. Those using the hub will be assessed and given a bed, then supported in their search for somewhere to live.

The grant is part of a £20 million handout out by the Homelessness Transition Fund, funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The Bradford scheme is one of 30 nationwide receiving cash to get people off the streets.

Hope Housing project co-ordinator Adam Clark says as well as having ten emergency bed spaces, the Bradford centre will be staffed by dedicated ‘move on’ workers who will help homeless people seek settled accommodation.

“The idea is to put into place support plans for sustainable accommodation, helping people to get off the streets,” says Adam. “We will mostly be working with people who are new to the streets, but there will also be a programme targeted at longer-term rough sleepers.

“It’s a new approach to tackling homelessness in Bradford, which enhances what’s already available here. We visited similar projects in Manchester and Harrogate, and a few others have been rolled out through the Transition Fund.”

This month sees the fifth anniversary of Hope Housing. “Over the past five years our hosting project (in which volunteers provide a spare room in their homes for a homeless person overnight) has helped 550 people off the streets, but the number of people becoming homeless in the city continues to increase,” says Adam.

“We will continue to run the hosting project, but the new centre will enable us to improve assessment and identification of those sleeping rough, and help them access emergency beds. We will also be able to work more closely with people with more complex needs.

“We are trying to locate a building and will be recruiting staff this side of Christmas. We aim to be operational on February 1.”

Earlier this year Hope Housing reported its busiest period since it was set up in 2008. With temperatures continuing to plummet below zero until well into spring, a cold weather service offered to rough sleepers was open for more than 100 nights, the longest stretch since it started nine years ago.

Hope Housing joined forces with organisations such as Inn Churches, Horton Housing, Street Reach, Incommunities and Bradford Council to find shelter for rough sleepers.

While the reasons behind homelessness are varied, the amount of rough sleepers has risen in recent years, with many suffering the effects of the economic climate.

Adam says Hope Housing deals with rising numbers of people who have been made homeless while still employed. Some have lost their homes because of reduced working hours, leaving them no longer able to afford mortgage payments or rent.

"In my experience, people get made homeless in a short space of time. Things happen really quickly and circumstances spiral against them, which means they suddenly end up with nothing,” says Adam.

"There are lots of great services in Bradford and we work closely with organisations such as Horton Housing to help people off the streets and into accommodation.”