Councils and charities across Yorkshire are stepping up their work with homeless people after a new investigation showed deaths among the group increased by 9% in 2024.

In a report published on Wednesday, the Dying Homeless Project found that 1,611 people died while homeless in the UK last year.

In light of the figures, councils throughout the region have highlighted their support for people at risk of homelessness.

Cllr Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing at City of York Council, said: “We work hard to prevent homelessness and especially so where young people face homelessness.

“During 2024/25, our previous and current homeless strategy has helped prevent 301 households from losing their home.

“Over 1,000 households were supported to either prevent homelessness, or access suitable accommodation when moving out of homelessness during 2024/25.”

Charities are also showcasing the differences they had made to people’s lives.

Help Us Help is a collaboration of several charities and services in Sheffield which shares information about the support available to people rough sleeping and begging in the city.

They also provide advice and guidance for businesses and the public about how to best support people on the streets.

One of their success stories is Kelvin. He spent time in care growing up, as well as facing struggles with addiction and time in prison before becoming homeless.

He has been clean, housed, and employed for several years, and now uses his experiences to support others on the streets of Sheffield via his role with South Yorkshire Housing Association.

“Because of what I’ve been through, my experiences of addiction, violence, and trauma, I can relate to people, and they know they can trust me and open up about what’s going on.

“I’ve experienced those feelings of hopelessness, and I’ve come out the other side, so I can talk to people about that, and remind them that the support is out there if they want it.”

Even when sleeping rough, he was raising awareness for those in a similar situation. In 2019, he appeared alongside his dog Loki in a YouTube documentary about the importance of pets to homeless people.

Kelvin carries out his work alongside Sheffield City Council’s Rough Sleeper Teams and Street Outreach Service.

He added: “I don’t want my role to be in vain and for us still to be having these same conversations in ten years.

“Asking for help is one of the hardest things to do, but anyone can do it.

“Life now is worlds apart from what it was, on every level. I have a job I love, which supports people with similar struggles to my own, turning those negative experiences into a purpose.”

Unfortunately, these actions can’t save everyone.

After the deaths of 3 homeless people in Sheffield over a 10-day period in December 2024, Tim Renshaw, CEO of homeless charity The Archer Project, said: “A whole group of agencies (drug and alcohol support workers, outreach workers, accommodation support workers, and many more) are left with memories and regrets.

“We will laugh at some things and ask our own questions like, ‘why did we have such drastic budget cuts?’ and ‘when will have the resources to properly reduce the tragedy of street homelessness?’.

“I don’t know the answers to those questions. What I do know is we will continue to work with people who exasperate and encourage us in the best way we can.”