AN innovative new project to tackle homelessness amongst 16 and 17 year olds in one Yorkshire Dales district has won Government funding.

'Hambleton Safe Moves' will aim to prevent young people from becoming homeless - driving home the reality of leaving home and finding accommodation of their own.

The District Council is one of only a handful of local authorities in the country to receive funding from the Government pot - it gets £9,300.

The scheme sees the District Council, Hambleton Local Strategic Partnership, Connexions York and North Yorkshire and Foundation Housing join forces to offer peer mentoring, informal life skills training, family mediation and training for young people.

It is part of a Government plan to end the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds by 2010.

"We are working very hard to prevent people becoming homeless, and to reduce the time spent in temporary accommodation by homeless people," said Hambleton District Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, Neville Huxtable.

"This project will be a real resource for young people and their families in Hambleton who are facing difficult circumstances. We want to provide all the support possible to help young people move on from living at home in a planned and safe way - and prevent them finding themselves homeless and alone."

Hambleton Safe Moves will be based at the 'single young homeless' supported housing scheme in Thirsk. Foundation Housing, which manages that scheme, will host a 'Safe Moves' officer, who will work closely with young people and young people's service providers across the District.

For more information on the project contact Helen Fielding, Hambleton Housing Services Manager, on 0845 1211 555.