Homelessness Projects Given £250k Boost

Innovative projects across England have this week been awarded up to £25k each to help ensure they can face future challenges in the sector and continue tackling homelessness. Grants totalling £247,250 have been allocated to 12 projects in the final round of funding from the Future Ready Fund, which aims to strengthen and secure the future of organisations in the homelessness sector. The successful projects are diverse, but all demonstrate an effective and sustainable approach to preventing homelessness and rough sleeping. Read more on the Homeless Link website.

New Fund to Help Homeless Services Prepare For the Future

The Homelessness Transition Fund has launched a new fund to help homelessness charities respond to pressures caused by rising demand at a time of cuts to funding.  Under Future Ready, voluntary sector organisations that work with homeless people can apply for grants from £5,000 - £25,000 to help them respond to the challenges they face.  With homelessness numbers at their highest since 2008 and six out of every ten projects having had their budgets cut in 2011, Future Ready aims to help organisations prepare for further changes to the commissioning and funding of services.  Organisations can apply for grants to help them:

    *Adopt new ways of working or build their skills base

    *Form new partnerships with other organisations

    *Test new approaches that will attract funding

    *Make difficult decisions about their future

    *Improve business planning or collect evidence to show the importance of their work

Find out more on the Homeless Link website.

£3m to Help Tackle Rising Rough Sleeping

Homeless charities across England can now apply for grants of up £200k to invest in new ways of preventing and tackling rough sleeping.  With the number of people sleeping out on any one night estimated to have increased by 23% last year, priority will be given to areas that are experiencing high levels of homelessness and want to adopt No Second Night Out.  No Second Night Out is an initiative that involves putting the services in place to ensure that new rough sleepers get rapid help so they don’t spend a second night out. The idea, pioneered in London, has already spread to 30 areas thanks to funding from the £20m Homelessness Transition Fund.  The Fund has also announced that in September it will launch the ‘Future Ready’ fund. Under the scheme, homelessness services that are at risk of closure will be able to apply for grants of between £5k - £25k to help them find ways of securing their futures.  Read more on the Homeless Link website.