THERE is more than sufficient funding to tackle the city’s homeless crisis but a new approach is needed, a councillor has warned.

Conservative councillor Tony Janio said it was not good enough to keep throwing millions of pounds at the problem and a more joined-up process was needed.

The call comes as Brighton and Hove City Council prepares to launch a new pay-by result service to help 150 of the most entrenched rough sleepers under a £1 million government funded scheme.

Providers will be paid up to £10,000 to find housing for individuals who have been living rough on the city streets for years.

Plans for the social impact bond programme, following the successful bid for funding by the city council in partnership with colleagues in Hastings, Eastbourne, Arun, Adur and Worthing, were discussed at Thursday’s policy, resources and growth committee.

The council hopes to go out to tender for a contractor by June so the scheme can begin in September.

Officers said the approach varied greatly to existing commissioned services, offering an opportunity to develop innovative practices and work with the most entrenched rough sleepers in a highly focused and targeted manner.

Concerns were raised by Conservative group leader Geoffrey Theobald and providers invited to bid for the scheme whether there was sufficient funding for the scheme.

Green Cllr Ollie Sykes questioned how outcomes would be monitored following evidence a similar pay-by-results scheme for troubled families failed to achieve any meaningful results.

Council officers said they were taking a flexible approach on where homeless people would be rehomed in either the city, partnering Sussex authorities or with families elsewhere in the country.

The city council has received substantial funding from the government in a bid to tackle its growing homelessness crisis.

In December, the government granted the city £1.25 million which is being used to fund a dual diagnosis worker to support rough sleepers with substance misuse and mental health needs and a navigator worker to help direct the homeless towards support.

In the most recent count, a total of 144 people were sleeping on the city streets compared to 78 last year.

Cllr Janio said: “We spend around £4.7million on rough sleeping in the city, no one knows where it all goes and what it is used for.

“There is not a lack of money, we have got to get a grip on management, we cannot keep throwing money at it.

“All the services need to be looked at, we have got to look a fresh.”