The government has released a further £3.6m from its £20m Homelessness Transition Fund.
Housing minister Mark Prisk announced that 23 charities will receive a share from this latest round of funding, taking investment through the Fund so far to almost £16m, with more to be allocated next year.
Prisk said that the latest allocations are helping to expand the No Second Night Out principle across the country. The scheme aims to support rough sleepers to get off the streets and their lives back on track.
The minister said a total of 85 homelessness schemes are now working under No Second Night Out across 64 areas. According to Homeless Link, the charity which runs the Fund with support from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), more than 6,000 people have been helped off the streets or prevented from sleeping rough by the scheme so far.
New rough sleeping hotline
The minister also used the announcement to highlight StreetLink, a new national rough sleeping hotline and website through which the public can help rough sleepers in their area by putting them in touch with local services.
Prisk commented: “Nobody should have to face a second night on the streets, and today’s cash will mean that local services can ensure no-one has to. And with the addition of new rough sleeping hotline StreetLink, people who want to make a difference can now take a very simple step to connect rough sleepers quickly to the help they need.” The StreetLink number is 0300 500 0914.
The Homelessness Transition Fund was set up to help support the government’s rough sleeping strategy, Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide.
The new funding in full
The following areas have received new funding (area, project name, grant amount):
- Bedfordshire, Noah Enterprise, £183,799
- Birmingham, SIFA Fireside, £89,879
- Derby, Riverside ECHG, £200,000
- Durham, The Cyrenians, £198,353
- Greater Manchester, Riverside ECHG, £200,000
- King’s Lynn, The Purfleet Trust, £106,277
- Lancashire, The Foxton Centre, £197,360
- Leeds, Kirklees and Wakefield, CRI, £189,931
- Leicester, Action Homeless, £199,849
- London, Depaul UK, £192,734
- London, SHP, £95,453
- Mendip, Elim Connect Centre, £117,810
- Nottingham, Framework HA, £123,772
- Peterborough, Peterborough Streets, £137,797
- Rochdale, Petrus, £199,108
- Sheffield, Cathedral Archer Project, £176,873
- Sheffield, ASSIST, £87,032
- Southend-on-Sea, Homeless Action Resource Project (HARP), £122,537
- Warrington, Brighter Futures HA, £199,831
- Waveney, St John’s Housing Trust, £82,931
- West Midlands, Midlands Heart, £170,940
- Wirral, Wirral Churches Ark Project, £156,939
- Wolverhampton, P3, £198,647
