The Housing Crisis Response

Government and charitable funders recognize housing as fundamental to health, employment, and community stability. The focus has shifted from managing homelessness to preventing it, creating opportunities for innovative approaches that address root causes and provide sustainable housing solutions.

Government Housing Programmes

Rough Sleeping Initiative

Multi-year government commitment to end rough sleeping:

Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP)

Investment: £433M over 3 years
Accommodation: 6,000 new supported homes
Support Services: Wraparound support funding included
Local Authority Delivery: Bid-based allocation

Next Steps Accommodation Programme (NSAP)

Funding: £200M supporting 3,300 people
Target Group: Those accommodated during COVID-19
Sustainable Housing: Move-on accommodation
Intensive Support: Complex needs support

Homelessness Prevention

Homelessness Prevention Grant

Annual Allocation: £316M to local authorities
Prevention Focus: Early intervention services
Flexible Use: Local needs-based allocation
Partnership Working: Voluntary sector delivery

Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation

Statutory Duty: Local authority provision requirement
Funding: £125M over 3 years
Services: Refuge and community-based support
Specialist Support: Children and complex needs

Programme	Budget	Duration	Focus
RSAP	>£433M	3 years	Rough sleeping accommodation
NSAP	>£200M	Ongoing	Move-on accommodation
Homelessness Prevention	>£316M	Annual	Prevention services
Safe Accommodation	>£125M	3 years	Domestic abuse support

Charitable Foundation Housing Funding

Major Housing Charities

Shelter

Local Grants Programme: £5,000 - £25,000
Innovation Fund: New approaches to housing problems
Legal Services: Housing rights and advocacy
Research and Policy: Evidence building for systemic change

Crisis

Skylight Programme: Education, training, and support
Housing First: Immediate housing with support
Prevention Services: Early intervention programmes
Employment Support: Routes into work

St Mungo's

Community Grants: £2,000 - £15,000
Recovery Focus: Addiction and mental health
Outreach Services: Street-based engagement
Supported Accommodation: Transitional housing

Foundation and Trust Funding

Tudor Trust

Grant Range: £5,000 - £50,000 per year
Duration: Up to 3 years
Focus: Smaller organizations supporting marginalized groups
Holistic Support: Beyond accommodation to life skills

Lloyds Bank Foundation

Enable Grants: £10,000 - £25,000 over 1 year
Enhance Grants: £25,000 - £75,000 over 3 years
Target: Small and medium charities
Complex Disadvantage: Multiple barriers to housing

Henry Smith Charity

Main Grants: £10,000 - £60,000
Holiday Grants: Respite for families
Capital Grants: Building and renovation
Strengthening Communities: Infrastructure support

Specialist Housing Support Areas

Young People's Housing

Centrepoint

Local Innovation Fund: £10,000 - £50,000
Prevention Focus: Early intervention for youth homelessness
Support Services: Life skills and education
Transition Support: Move-on to independent living

Children in Need

Housing Support: Family homelessness prevention
Grant Range: £5,000 - £100,000 over 3 years
Holistic Support: Education and wellbeing

Women's Housing and Domestic Abuse

Women's Aid Federation

Development Fund: Service development grants
Innovation Projects: New models of support
Capacity Building: Organizational development

Refuge

Community Partnerships: Local service development
Technology Innovation: Digital safety and support
Children's Services: Specialist child support

Mental Health and Housing

Mind Housing Projects

Supported Accommodation: Mental health housing support
Community Living: Independent living support
Crisis Support: Emergency accommodation

Housing Grant Success Factors

Clear understanding of local housing need and demand
Evidence of effective partnerships with statutory services
Trauma-informed and person-centred approach
Demonstrable track record in housing support delivery
Strong safeguarding policies and procedures
Sustainable funding model beyond initial grant period

Evidence Base for Housing Applications

Understanding Local Housing Need

Data Sources

CHAIN Database: London rough sleeping data
H-CLIC: Homelessness case-level information collection
Local Housing Strategies: Council housing assessments
JSNA: Joint strategic needs assessments
Homelessness Reviews: Local authority statutory assessments

Key Statistics to Include

Rough Sleeping Counts: Official local authority counts
Temporary Accommodation: Numbers in B&B and hostels
Prevention Cases: Homelessness prevention activity
Demographics: Age, gender, ethnicity of those affected
Support Needs: Mental health, substance misuse, offending

Housing Pathways and Models

Housing First Approach

Evidence-based model showing 85% tenancy sustainment:

Immediate Housing: No preconditions for accommodation
Consumer Choice: Service user-led approach
Recovery Orientation: Hope and healing focus
Wraparound Support: Intensive, flexible support
Social Integration: Community connections

Prevention Models

Early Intervention: Identifying risk before crisis
Mediation Services: Family and relationship support
Financial Inclusion: Debt advice and budgeting support
Legal Advocacy: Housing rights and representation

Accommodation Types and Funding

Emergency and Crisis Accommodation

Night Shelters

Immediate Safety: Emergency overnight accommodation
Basic Needs: Food, washing facilities, safety
Engagement Point: Gateway to further support
Typical Funding: £20-40 per person per night

Assessment Centers

Comprehensive Assessment: Needs and risk evaluation
Short-term Stay: 2-4 weeks typically
Support Planning: Pathway to appropriate services
Funding Range: £50-80 per person per night

Supported Accommodation

Direct Access Hostels

Medium-term Stay: 6 months to 2 years
Skill Development: Life skills and independence training
Support Worker: Key worker and group support
Move-on Planning: Preparation for independent living

Supported Living

Independent Tenancy: Own front door
Floating Support: Visiting support worker
Tenancy Sustainment: Maintaining accommodation
Community Integration: Local connections

High Support Needs

24/7 staffed accommodation
Mental health crisis support
Substance misuse recovery
Complex trauma responses
Medical and nursing care

Move-on Support

Independent living skills
Tenancy rights education
Employment preparation
Community connections
Ongoing floating support

Innovation in Housing Services

Technology Solutions

Digital Inclusion

Wi-Fi Access: Internet connectivity in accommodations
Device Provision: Tablets and smartphones for service users
Digital Skills: Training for online services access
Virtual Support: Remote support and counselling

Data and Analytics

Predictive Modeling: Identifying homelessness risk
Outcome Tracking: Real-time progress monitoring
Resource Optimization: Efficient service delivery

Innovative Models

Social Impact Bonds

Payment by Results: Success-based funding
Innovation Incentive: Rewarding effective approaches
Risk Sharing: Investor-backed service delivery
Outcome Focus: Measurable social returns

Community-Led Housing

Peer Support: People with lived experience leading
Cooperative Models: Shared ownership and control
Community Land Trusts: Affordable housing in perpetuity

Housing Funding Challenges

High property costs and limited affordable housing stock
Complex support needs requiring multidisciplinary approaches
Planning and regulatory barriers to new accommodation
Stigma and community resistance to supported housing
Recruitment and retention of qualified support workers
Balancing support intensity with personal autonomy

Partnership and Collaborative Approaches

Statutory Partnerships

Local Authority Collaboration

Housing Teams: Homelessness and housing options
Social Services: Adult safeguarding and support
Public Health: Health and wellbeing outcomes
Planning Teams: New accommodation development

Health Service Integration

NHS Trusts: Physical and mental health services
Primary Care: GP registration and healthcare access
Substance Misuse: Addiction treatment services
Community Health: Outreach and support

Multi-Agency Working

Complex Case Panels

High Risk Cases: Multiple agency coordination
Resource Coordination: Pooled funding and expertise
Intensive Support: Wrap-around service delivery

Measuring Impact and Outcomes

Housing Outcome Measures

Accommodation Outcomes

Tenancy Sustainment: Length of settled accommodation
Move-on Success: Progression to independent housing
Repeat Homelessness: Returns to homelessness services
Accommodation Quality: Safety and suitability measures

Wellbeing Outcomes

Mental Health: Psychological wellbeing improvement
Physical Health: Healthcare access and health status
Social Connections: Community integration and relationships
Life Skills: Independent living capabilities

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Cost per Outcome: Price per person housed
System Savings: Reduced emergency service use
Social Return on Investment: Broader social value
Long-term Sustainability: Lasting housing stability

Housing and homelessness funding represents a critical opportunity to address one of society's most pressing challenges. With substantial government investment and growing charitable foundation support, organizations that demonstrate effective, evidence-based approaches to housing support can access significant resources to transform lives and communities.

Success requires understanding the complex interplay between housing, health, employment, and social support, combined with the ability to work effectively across statutory and voluntary sector boundaries. The most successful housing organizations combine practical accommodation solutions with holistic support that addresses underlying causes of homelessness.

Crafty's AI-powered grant writing service understands the specific requirements of housing and homelessness funding, helping organizations develop applications that demonstrate both accommodation provision and comprehensive support leading to sustainable housing outcomes.