NEW measures were due to be announced today in a bid to end homelessness in Worcester.

The launch will see 10 more temporary accommodation places for young people and an A-Z directory of homeless-related services.

The measures are part of a three-year partnership between the city council and nine other organisations to stop homelessness before it starts and speed up re-housing in Worcester.

The plan will move into a higher gear in the new year, when the newly-formed Assessment Panel examines ways it can intervene before people are made homeless in the fisrt place.

The launch comes a week after the Government announced there were 110 homeless families in Worcester, and 450 across the county.

"Though the city council is no longer the landlord of more than 4,000 former council-owned properties for rent, responsibility for homeless remains a key function," said principal housing strategy officer Kate Bailey.

"Central to our success is the need for all concerned agencies to work together to explore all viable options and to speed up the support process."

Worcester Rough Sleepers Project, St Paul's Hostel, YMCA, Maggs Day Centre, Worcester Community Housing, Alcohol Advisory Service, Turning Point, Social Services and West Mercia police have all joined forces in the panel.

"One of its main aims is to speed up the process by which clients are assessed," said Ms Bailey.

"Hopefully, it will be possible to head-off issues before they become problems by intervening where homelessness might be the end result, typically impending evictions, tenancy difficulties and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.

"The intention is to stop people becoming homeless in the first place and, if we can do that, we're well down the road towards reversing the homeless trend."

The Assessment Panel was due to be launched in the Guildhall, Worcester, at 11am today.