New £20m fund to tackle rough sleeping

1 Aug 2011 11:00 AM

Homelessness Transition Fund opens for business.

A new £20m grants scheme has been opened up by Homeless Link for voluntary sector organisations working to tackle rough sleeping in England, with £8m being given out in the first funding round.

The Homeless Transition Fund will award grants of up to £250,000 to protect and enhance essential services for single homeless people. Grants will also be awarded to support the introduction of No Second Night Out and other new ways to end rough sleeping.

The independent Fund has been set up to help support the Government’s rough sleeping strategy ‘Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide’. Administered by Homeless Link, the umbrella body for homelessness charities, the Fund will award £20m over the next three years.

Currently running as a pilot across London, No Second Night Out is a standard that the Government wants every local authority in England to adopt. No Second Night Out involves having the right services in place to make sure that anyone who ends up on the streets gets rapid help so they don’t spend a second night on the streets.

Commenting, Chair of Homeless Link, Ann Skinner said:

“We have made real progress in tackling rough sleeping and reducing homelessness in England. 

“Voluntary organisations are better than ever at preventing people from losing their homes and, if they do end up on the streets, supporting them to get back on their feet.

“More people needed help as a result of the recession and cuts to funding for homelessness services have put this progress at risk. 

“We hope that the Fund will help to make sure that progress is not lost. We aim to help protect essential services, giving them the breathing space they need to secure their futures. We also want to help charities to continue to move forward, developing new, more effective ways to stop people living on the streets.”

Organisations have until the 30th September to submit applications. 

To find out more visit: www.homeless.org.uk/fund