A NEW outreach service, landlord incentive scheme and nine temporary homes are part of the council's homeless strategy for 2018/19.

For the next financial year Epping Forest District Council has received a £313,000 homelessness support grant from central government, £36,000 more than last year.

In addition to continuing a number of longstanding projects - such as its contract with Genesis Housing Association, which manages social housing for low income people on landlord's behalf - £10,500 has been allocated for a new service for rough sleepers.

Run by Churches Homeless Emergency Support Scheme (CHESS), advice and assistance will be more easily available to those sleeping on the district's streets.

Another new initiative is the house people in empty units at Zinc Arts in Ongar, a charity which provides courses to those that struggle with mainstream education.

Three people aged 35 and over were put up there in April last year and now nine will be housed in some of Zinc Art's empty units, originally designed for students attending programmes.

The money will also be used to fund an additional part-time deputy hostel manager at Norway House in North Weald, the soon-to-be site of six homeless pods which were recently granted planning permission.

Old initiatives will also be continued or revived, including guarantee loans so homeless people can secure private rented accommodation, £2,000 payments incentivising landlords to take on homeless tenants and a repossession prevention fund.

The Council also received a further £134,000 under the Government’s Homelessness Reduction Act Grant.

The money will be used to hire a homelessness strategy officer on a temporary contract for three years.