Accommodation Fund Launched to Support Government COVID-19 Homelessness Response
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is providing new funding to local authorities, registered providers, and their local partners to engage with the next stage of their COVID-19 Rough Sleeping response.
The overall objectives of the Next Steps Accommodation Programme are to reduce rough sleeping and to seek to ensure rough sleepers brought into emergency accommodation in response to COVID-19, do not return to sleeping rough.
There are two different aspects to this fund:
Shorter-term/interim accommodation and immediate support. The funding can cover a range of interventions, from moves into the private rented sector, to extending or procuring interim accommodation such as hotels or student accommodation and supporting individuals to reconnect with friends or family.
Longer-term Move-on Accommodation. Organisations wishing to bid must clearly demonstrate in their proposal how the funding will be used to bring forward long-term, move-on accommodation.
Outside of London, both these aspects of funding are administered through a single process. Inside Greater London, applications for long-term accommodation and support will be administered by the Greater London Authority (GLA), while the funding for immediate and interim support will be administered by MHCLG. MHCLG will make the final decision on allocating funding.
Local authorities in England are eligible to apply.
Proposals from outside of Greater London can be submitted by Local Housing Authorities (and combined authorities). MHCLG would encourage joint bids from areas.
The two strands offer the following funding:
Shorter-term/interim accommodation and immediate support. On 24 June, the Secretary of State announced £105 million to be used for immediate support for local authorities. The £105 million is revenue only and to be utilised in 20/21.
Longer-term Move-on Accommodation. On 24 May, the Secretary of State announced £161 million for 20/21 (as part of an overall £433 million for the lifetime of this parliament) to deliver 3,300 units of longer-term, moveon accommodation. The £161 million for this financial year is split into £130 million capital funding and £31 million revenue funding.
Proposals must be submitted by the 20 August 2020 deadline.
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