Government funding for tenancies for vulnerable people

Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, announced on Saturday, 18 July, a £266 million package to support vulnerable people into long term accommodation.

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The funding is part of the Next Steps Accommodation Programme which has been created to cover property costs and support new tenancies for homeless people and rough sleepers, who were provided with accommodation during the lockdown period.

Local Authorities and London Boroughs can now apply for the funding which is expected to support around 15,000 people.

The following types of short-term accommodation are considered eligible for funding under the programme. Funding can be used for both the provision of new accommodation and the extension of existing accommodation:

  • Accommodation owned by a university, RP, or private landlord and available for interim use.
  • PRS Access. This includes guaranteed rent or deposit schemes, mediation support, and training, or landlord incentives.
  • Supported Housing. Additional support can be offered to enable access to supported accommodation or social housing.
  • Modular housing units where these can be made available with necessary facilities, including power and waste connections. These can usually be placed with temporary planning permission.
  • Hotels. This includes funding to extend contracts, where this is the only or best solution to keep people in safe accommodation.
  • Other forms of short-term accommodation to ensure that no one returns to the streets. Bidders are encouraged to be creative in their proposed response to reflect the expressed needs of individual rough sleepers.
  • Employment support and training either to access work directly or to improve individuals’ employability.
  • Reconnections with friends and family, including local, national, and international reconnections.
  • Other forms of immediate support including tenancy sustainment support and immigration advice.