News story

£20 million fund is ensuring no second night out for rough sleepers nationwide

Housing Minister Mark Prisk announces the next round of a £20 million fund to ensure that nobody has to spend a second night on the streets.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
Rough sleeping, sleeping bag

Mr Prisk said that the latest allocations from the Homelessness Transition Fund are helping to expand the No Second Night Out principle - which aims to support rough sleepers to get off the streets and their lives back on track - right across the country.

Today, 23 charities will receive their share of £3.6 million - taking investment through the fund so far to almost £16 million with more to be allocated next year.

The minister said a total of 85 homelessness schemes are now working under No Second Night Out across 64 areas, preventing rough sleeping and ensuring that those who do find themselves on the streets are quickly found and offered help.

According to HomelessLink, more than 6,000 people have been helped off the streets or prevented from sleeping rough by the scheme so far.

The minister also pointed to StreetLink, the new national rough sleeping hotline and website, as a vital way to connect even more vulnerable people with the help they need.

StreetLink gives members of the public a chance to help rough sleepers in their area by putting them in touch with local services. With 4,000 contacts from the public since its launch in December, it is already making a difference to many lives.

Housing Minister Mark Prisk said:

We have some of the strongest protections in the world against homelessness, and key to this is our £20 million investment to extend No Second Night Out across the country.

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.

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

Anyone can become homeless and life on the streets is damaging and dangerous. We know that some people sleeping rough may not be known to local services and not all rough sleepers are aware that advice and services are available.

We hope this funding will ensure more rough sleepers get the support they need. You can also help, save the StreetLink number - 0300 500 0914 - on your phone right now and next time your concerned about someone sleeping rough, make a call.

Further information

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.

DCLG is providing £20 million to Homeless Link to administer the Homelessness Transition Fund. The £3.6 million announced today is part of that investment. Homeless Link is the national charity representing over 500 organisations working directly with homeless people in England.

Administered by umbrella organisation Homeless Link, today’s £3.6 million grant will go to 23 organisations delivering:

  • work to prevent homelessness, getting people the help they need before they reach the street
  • a swift response for new rough sleepers to ensure they don’t become entrenched in a street-bound lifestyle
  • tailored support and accommodation for longer term rough sleepers
  • long term help to stop people returning to streets and get them into stable work and accommodation

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
  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
Published 18 January 2013