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Latest updates on the Homelessness Transition Fund...

6 ideas to help with your Homelessness Transition Fund application

With three weeks to go before our deadline for Homelessness Transition Fund Main Grants, we’ve put together a few things to think about while you’re writing your application.

1. THINK ABOUT YOUR AREA

  • What types of services does your area need and how much demand is there for them? 
  • Who will the service help and why do they need it?
  • What will it do and where will it be provided?
  • How will it meet local outcomes?
We're encouraging applications from all areas to apply - as long as they meet the eligibility criteria - and we're particularly interested in receiving applications from areas experiencing high levels of homelessness. We've drawn up a list showing the levels of homelessness in all Local Authority areas using Government information on rough sleeping and statutory homelessness.


2. CHECK YOUR PROJECT IS ELIGIBLE

You'll need to complete a quick Eligibility Questionnaire for either the Main or Small Grants programme. We'll try and let you know if your project is eligible within 24 hours of receiving your form. If it isn't eligible, we'll tell you why and give you a few pointers about what to do next. You can submit more than one eligibility questionnaire.


3. LEAVE ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION

The deadline for applications to the main grants programme is 12 midday on Monday 14th May 2012.
 
When you apply, you'll need to attach a reference from your Local Authority or another stakeholder who can confirm your track record and strategic relevance. If you're submitting a partnership bid we'll ask you to attach a letter of support signed by all your partners, to confirm their involvement in the project. Make sure you leave enough time to arrange references as we won't be able to accept them once the deadline has passed.

There is no deadline for the small grants programme.
 

4. ASK FOR LOCAL HELP

Talk through your proposal with people who might help you improve it. Homeless Link's Regional Managers are available to help you. They can advise you on the application process, help provide information about your region and give advice on the services you are proposing. The Regional Managers are not involved in the assessment or decision making process. 
 
Applicants who applied unsuccessfully last year can email fund@homelesslink.org.uk for feedback on their original bid.
 

5. FIND ANSWERS TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS

We're holding a webinar at 10AM on Monday 30th April 2012 for anyone who is interested in applying to the Fund. We'll talk about eligibility and the application process, and we'll take you through the changes we have made to the programme since last year's round of funding.

Click here to sign up for the webinar
 
If you can’t join the webinar, you can watch our last one on Vimeo. You can also find answers to common questions about the Homelessness Transition Fund on our website. This page is updated regularly.
 

6. KEEP IT SIMPLE!

The best applications are the ones that:
 
  • Get straight to the point  and tell us what we need to know in plain English 
  • Meet the outcomes and criteria, using relevant evidence to show why yourproject is needed
  • Use S.M.A.R.T. criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound)
  • Take a lead from the help and resources sections on our website.
Our website contains full information on eligibility and the application process – as well as a list of projects awarded funding in 2011.
 
The deadline for Main Grants applications is 12 midday on Monday 14th May. There is no deadline for Small Grants applications – with funds awarded on a rolling basis.
 

Homelessness Transition Fund Round 2 launches this morning

Round 2 of the Homelessness Transition Fund opened this morning, with two grants programmes available to applicants:

  • Main Grants for frontline services rolling out No Second Night Out and other initiatives - offering funding of up to £200k over two years. The deadline for applications is 14th May 2012.
  • Small Grants for organisational development - offering funding of up to £25k over one year. This is an ongoing programme with no fixed closing date.

Getting started

The Homelessness Transition Fund website has been updated with full details on how to apply - and two free Webinars will share detailed guidance and give applicants the opportunity to ask questions:

Homeless Link's Regional Managers are available to support agencies and areas to develop their ideas and identify opportunities for bids.

Two free webinars

We are running two free ‘How to apply’ webinars on the application process involved in Round 2 of the Homelessness Transition Fund, which opens at the beginning of April.
We will talk you through:

  • Changes to the funding criteria for round 2
  • The main and small grants programmes
  • How funding will be targeted using ‘Areas of high homelessness’ data
  • Who can apply
  • How to apply
  • The online eligibility and application process

The webinars are interactive and you will have the opportunity to ask the HTF questions about the above.

Two dates available

Click a link below to take part in the event on that date...

 

Homelessness Transition Fund - Feedback for Round 1 Webinar

Please watch a recording of our "Homelessness Transition Fund - Feedback for Round 1" webinar, held on 9th January, 2012.

Purpose of Webinar:

To explore the reasons why 3 out of 4 applications were unsuccessful, and:

  • For unsuccessful applicants: To learn how future applications can be improved.
  • For Homeless Link regional staff: To learn how future support to applicants can be improved.
  • For the Homelessness Transition Fund: To learn how future grants rounds can be improved.
  • For all: To learn how we can better tackle rough sleeping and implement NSNO principles.

Presenters:
Samantha Rennie, Director of Homeless Transition Fund
Mark McPherson, Director of Practice and Regions

Download:
Please click here to download the "Feedback for Round 1" Powerpoint presentation.
 

No Second Night Out goes nationwide

19 communities get grants to ensure nobody is forced to sleep on the streets for more than one night.

Communities across England are to get up to £250k each to adopt No Second Night Out – an initiative that aims to ensure that anyone who ends up on the streets gets helped quickly so they don’t spend a second night out.

Announced today, the grants are part of an £8m pot being awarded by the Homelessness Transition Fund to 41 projects that aim to help ensure that no one lives on our streets.

The £20m independent Fund was set up to help support the national rough sleeping strategy Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide.

Administered by umbrella organisation Homeless Link, the Fund received 193 applications from charities wanting to protect key homelessness services and adopt initiatives like No Second Night Out.

Currently running as a pilot in London, No Second Night Out is a standard the Government would like to see adopted in every area. It involves having services in place so people sleeping rough are quickly identified with the help of the public and provided with accommodation and support.

Welcoming the news, Housing Minister Grant Shapps said:

"When economic times are tough, protecting the most vulnerable in society becomes even more important.

"That's why we have dedicated £8 million to extend No Second Night Out outside the capital and make sure that anyone who finds themselves on the streets quickly gets the help they need.

"A safe, warm place to stay is something that everyone should be able to rely on, so I'm delighted that 19 more areas will each receive this cash boost to help make sure that no-one will need to spend more than one night sleeping rough."

Commenting, Sharon Allen, Chair of the Fund’s Grants Panel said:

“In these difficult times, the funding announced today will help charities provide the vital support that many homeless people need to get back on their feet.”

“The quality of applications and demand for help was extremely high. However, I am pleased that these grants will help protect essential services and develop new, more effective ways to stop people living on our streets."

Charities in the following areas are receiving funding to adopt No Second Night Out:

Area

Charity

Grant amount

Brighton and Hove

Brighton Housing Trust

£248,100

Bristol

St Mungos

£229,268

Cheshire

Adullum Housing Association

£235,938

Cambridgeshire

Ferry Project

£250,000

Cumbria

Manna House

£106,092

Darlington

First Stop Darlington

£241,889

Devon

Sanctuary Housing Association

£202,496

Exeter

St.Petrock’s

£250,000

Harrogate

Harrogate Homeless Project Limited

£242,655

Hull

Hullharp

£240,000

Kent

Porchlight

£ 250,000

Liverpool

Whitechapel Centre

£186,637

Liverpool

Liverpool YMCA

£114,031

London (outer)

Broadway

£244,286

Newcastle

The Cyrenians

£242,061

Northampton

NAASH

£226,000

Reading

St.Mungo’s

£87, 987

South Somerset

Bournemouth Churches Housing Association

£247,869

Sunderland

The Cyrenians

£235,576

To see a full list of grants, visit the Transition Fund website.

Case studies are available on request.