We’re excited to be part of St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity’s new Access to Accommodation Fund. We’ll be receiving £77,660 to fund our project. We provide transitional housing, 1-2-1 support and community integration activities for people who are homeless / high risk of homelessness. This includes residents recently released from prison, and/or with histories of substance misuse, and mental and physical ill- health. We provide 19 beds across 4 housing units offering transitional supported housing for up to 2 years for people attempting to stabilise their lives, stop offending, manage their substance misuse and ready themselves for independent living.
The Access to Accommodation Fund was created to respond to a lack of homes for people who need them. Through conversations with charities, frontline workers and people with lived experience of homelessness, it was clear that organisations are working hard to develop practical housing solutions, but often lack the resources needed to unlock them. Through the fund, St Martin’s Charity is dedicating over £620,000 to support smaller, community-based charities that are developing new ways to either create or unlock accommodation in their local area.
The projects cover a range of approaches, including move-on accommodation, modular housing, refugee hosting, emergency refuge, accessible housing, and support for women with no recourse to public funds. While each project is different, they all aim to provide practical, housing-led solutions that can deliver immediate impact and inform future approaches. And they are widespread, supporting people in Luton, Liverpool, Great Yarmouth, Leicester, Weymouth, Oxford, Bristol, Durham & Hartlepool. And, applications are now open to organisations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Commenting on their success Jim Brett, CEO of the Independence Initiative, said:
“Part of our mission is to offer support to as many people as we can so the opportunity to grow was an obvious one to go for. Our service isn’t just about providing rooms – we’re one of the few organisations to offer wraparound support to really help those at risk of homelessness back on their feet. We work with individuals to build long term plans that are driven by their own circumstances, skills, and aspirations, helping them rebuild their lives. It’s exciting to think our work could provide a model for other parts of the country to follow.”
Find out more about the fund:
https://smitfc.org/access-to-accommodation-fund-grants-for-local-housing-solutions