Extra Funding To Help Homeless Charities During The Pandemic

/in /by

The COVID-19 Homelessness Response Fund is providing £6 million of emergency funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to 133 frontline homelessness charities whose finances have been directly affected by the Coronavirus.

Homeless Link is distributing the funding, with the decisions of an independent grants panel announced on 7 June 2020. The following information aims to clarify the procedures followed.

  • The COVID-19 Homelessness Response Fund was heavily oversubscribed, receiving almost 300 applications, from member and non-members of Homeless Link across the country.
  • An independent grants panel was brought together to assess the applications, with members including representatives from MHCLG and grants managers from other national funders.
  • Each application was assessed according to the grants criteria and application guidance, and decisions were based on the application alone to allow a level playing field.
  • The high number of applications meant that, unfortunately, the panel was unable to allocate grants to every organisation that applied. While many of the unsuccessful applicants were entirely deserving of support, the pot of funding was limited and difficult decisions had to be made – in these situations, the assessors followed the fund eligibility criteria and guidelines to guide decisions.
  • Homeless Link is working to secure additional funding to re-open a second round of grants. This would allow organisations not funded in the first round to reapply, as well as giving others an opportunity to bid for funds. Organisations will be strongly advised to follow the available guidance as closely as they are able when submitting their application.

The organisations being supported cover a wide spectrum of homelessness provision, from specialist services supporting young people, women, and those who identify as LGBTQ+, to those providing soup kitchens and essential supplies and support to people sleeping rough.

The financial assistance they receive will protect them against closure, service cuts and staff redundancies due to the increased operational costs and a loss or fundraised income caused by the pandemic. Crucially, this will ensure that people experiencing homelessness can continue to receive the support they need to recover and move on. All grantees are organisations with an annual turnover of less than £5 million, where over half of beneficiaries are people experiencing homelessness. Awards must be spent by 30 October 2020.

Homeless Link is pleased to be able to provide this critical support to frontline services, and will shortly announce further opportunities for agencies to apply for funding for emergency relief, and to develop new services, in this financial year.