Voluntary, community and faith organizations with annual incomes below £5 million have until midday on 31 March to apply for grants from a new £37 million fund targeting homelessness prevention and rough sleeping support.
Applications for the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund open Monday 23 February, with the three-year programme running from 2026 to 2029 across England. The competitive allocation process will distribute what the government describes as record investment to small and medium-sized organizations delivering frontline services.
The fund represents part of a £50 million government investment announced today split across two major programmes aimed at reducing long-term rough sleeping by half before the end of this Parliament.
Eligible organizations can use grants to support projects, staffing and building improvements designed to expand sector capacity, strengthen community networks and develop long-term, trauma-informed approaches to ending rough sleeping. The prospectus became available today detailing application requirements and criteria.
A separate £15 million Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme will target 28 areas facing the greatest rough sleeping pressures, including London. This initiative runs from April 2026 to 2029, funding partnerships and local authorities to implement coordinated approaches including complex case management, peer mentoring and improved service connections.
As part of the Innovation Programme, new Long-Term Rough Sleeping Partnership Plans will be designed with local organizations to ensure coordinated support and spread effective practices nationwide.
The funding announcements coincide with concerning domestic abuse statistics revealed in the Rough Sleeping Questionnaire 2025. Research shows nearly 70 percent of women experiencing rough sleeping in the past year had suffered domestic abuse since age 16.
Homelessness Minister Alison McGovern stated: “We know the picture is even starker for women with domestic abuse being a significant driver of homelessness. No one should end up on the streets because of violence at home.”
She added the package “strengthens the organisations who stand beside people at their most vulnerable” whilst supporting frontline teams and encouraging fresh approaches to provide stability and hope.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed described homelessness as “one of the most profound challenges we face as a society,” stating the announcement represents “the next step in our National Plan to End Homelessness which will finally tackle this shameful crisis on our streets.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the investment, stating he remains “committed to ending rough sleeping in London by 2030” whilst acknowledging “there is still more to do.”
Rick Henderson, CEO of Homeless Link, expressed particular appreciation for the Communities Fund, stating it “contributes additional, strategic funding for voluntary, community and faith sector organisations” whose important role in delivering early intervention and crisis support will help ensure homelessness assistance meets local needs more effectively.
Bonnie Williams, Chief Executive of Housing Justice, welcomed the strategy’s “stronger emphasis on prevention and early intervention,” noting the Communities Fund “has the potential to enable the voluntary, community and faith sector to play an even greater role in the solution.”
The £50 million investment forms part of the government’s £3.6 billion-backed National Plan to End Homelessness, which makes three pledges to achieve by the end of this Parliament: halve long-term rough sleeping, end unlawful use of B&Bs for families, and prevent more households from becoming homeless initially.
The plan includes a proposed ‘Duty to Collaborate’ requiring public bodies to work together preventing homelessness, alongside cross-government targets aiming to halve prison-related homelessness and ensure no eligible person is discharged to streets post-hospital.
Through the Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, £159 million has been funded for supported housing, targeting 40 local areas with greatest need.
The announcements follow recent government measures addressing wider homelessness drivers, including ending no-fault evictions through the Renters’ Rights Act, boosting temporary accommodation supply with £950 million backing, and investing £39 billion in social and affordable housing expansion.
Organizations interested in applying for the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund should consult the prospectus available today and ensure applications are submitted before the midday deadline on 31 March.
