Private landlords in Keighley could provide homes for low-income families in return for a housing agency covering the deposit and bond.

Bradford Community Housing Trust hopes its initiative will help increase the amount of affordable accommodation locally.

The trust, which manages the district's former council houses, is devising two linked schemes, Rent in Advance and Bond Guarantee.

They would remove the main stumbling blocks to homeless individuals and families being able to move into rented accomm-odation.

The deposit of a month's rent in advance and the bond - "insurance" against damage - can together total as much as £900.

Jean Riley, the trust's private-sector housing initiatives officer, said many families did not have that much money.

The deposit scheme involves paying the landlord four weeks' rent in advance then helping the tenant make a swift application for housing benefit.

Payments will then go direct to the landlord, rather than via the tenant, and the advance will be recouped later from housing benefit.

Regarding the bond, the trust will encourage landlords to accept a "legal undertaking" rather than cash up front.

Ms Riley said: "There won't be any money passing hands, it's a guarantee that in the event of any damage the trust will pay.

"We would have a savings scheme for the tenant, to pay a certain amount to offset any possible damage, and encourage them to keep the property in good order."

Ms Riley hoped the bond scheme would eventually become self-financing, with banks and building societies pledging money to help fund it.

The trust is building 200 new homes across the district, running a landlord accreditation scheme and working with housing associations.