WIREDGOV

Blog posted by: Belinda Moreau-Jones, Friday, 14 May 2021.

Funding to improve and adapt services, helping transform people’s lives by offering a route off the streets and, ultimately, to reduce rough sleeping.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is providing £3 million (£1m Capital & £2m Revenue) of transformation funding for the homelessness, faith, community and voluntary sector to provide single room/ self-contained and COVID-19 secure accommodation for people experiencing homelessness this winter.

Homeless Link is distributing the Fund on the Ministry’s behalf in partnership with Housing Justice.

The £1 million Capital stream responds to the crucial need for adaptations and renovations to accommodation, seeking to enable COVID-19 secure environments for winter services.

At Homeless Link, we are excited to be able to channel this funding to the wider sector: the criterion to support self- contained accommodation represents a longer-term achievement for the homelessness sector, in enabling greater safety, dignity and respect for those accessing services.

The Fund is proactive, seeking early adaptations and works to enable the provision of winter services. We are delighted that MHCLG has been able to launch this funding with us at an early point in the year. We hope this additional time will allow for more in-depth planning and coordination over the summer, and enable a strong start for projects taking place over the winter period.

The pre-application questionnaire required as part of the Capital stream is now open. The deadline to complete this questionnaire is the 24th May, following this, a member of the Homeless Link or Housing Justice team will contact you to discuss. This is a light touch questionnaire to provide key information, including the following eligibility criteria:

• A primary focus on Winter Night Shelter services via grant spend on acquiring, or significantly upgrading a fixed asset such as land, a building or equipment
• A need for between £25,000-£100,000 of grant funding
• Ability to spend the capital grant by 31st October 2021.

Please note, answering ‘No’ to a question will not exclude you from the process, but it may mean that a conversation is required with you before progressing.

Key Dates:

• 24th May: Pre-application Capital questionnaire deadline; Capital stream full application invitations; Revenue stream opens to applications
• 21st June: Deadline for Capital applications
• 5th July: Deadline for Revenue applications
• 30th July: Capital stream applicants notified of outcome
• 6th September: Revenue stream applicants notified of outcome

For further information, this webinar recording provides an overview of the Homelessness Winter Transformation Fund, outlining eligibility criteria, key objectives and aims, as well notable dates.

If you have questions and queries please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing fund@homelesslink.org.uk.