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Northampton homeless charity has closed, says council

Homeless people face losing their accommodation in a town after a funding dispute between the charity which housed them and a Northamptonshire Council said in a statement that Northampton Association for Accommodation for Single Homeless (NAASH), which supported accommodation for about 200 people, had charity claimed housing benefit to secure properties for its clients. Earlier this month it said its funding had been held up by the council which had disputed the "validity" of the benefit Reform UK-controlled council said it "must follow the guidelines", adding it was "taking steps to support" the affected tenants. NAASH has been asked for comment. NAASH is the landlord of several supported accommodation properties and the council said "it cannot influence NAASH's eviction decisions". The council acknowledged that some tenants were vulnerable and said each case was being looked at individually so that "tailored support" could be authority said NAASH's closure followed a "long period of discussion and negotiation related to housing benefit claimed for tenants' support at the properties". NAASH, which has been supporting homeless people since 2000, does not own its housing and mostly rents rooms in houses of multiple occupation (HMOs). The charity has not confirmed its closure to the BBC. 'Acting proactively' Charlie Hastie, council cabinet member for housing, said: "We are actively engaging with other providers to ensure there is support available to help residents through this difficult time."We recognise the deep anxiety this situation causes for people with complex health and personal challenges."We as a council have already made a commitment to reduce homelessness and its wider impact, and we are acting proactively to address this."The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which administers housing benefit, previously said it could not comment on the said: "We support over a million people through housing benefit every year, which is managed and administered by local authorities."Local authorities decide if a customer is eligible for the benefit, applying DWP rules to ensure the right support is going to the right place." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.