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Housing Minister Mark Prisk today (24 April 2013) called on the voluntary sector, social enterprises and homelessness charities across the country to bid for the final share of a 拢20 million funding pot.

The minister opened bids for the final round of the 拢20 million , which will offer grants of up to 拢150,000 to invest in innovative new ways of preventing and tackling rough sleeping across the country. Organisations can bid for a share of 拢3.5 million funding in this final round.

Alongside this, a 拢500,000 pot will be available to help protect and enhance essential services for single homeless people and get them 鈥榝uture ready鈥�.

Help thousands off the street

To date the Homelessness Transition Fund has helped projects across the country reach nearly 12,000 people, half of which were new rough sleepers prevented from spending a second night on the street.

This final year of funding is designed particularly to help more areas adopt the No Second Night Out principle and maintain services to support single people and young people facing the prospect of sleeping rough.

The Fund is one of a range of prevention measures supported by the government. In total, ministers have provided 拢470 million funding - protecting one of the strongest safety nets in the world against homelessness.

Housing Minister Mark Prisk said:

鈥淣o-one should have to face a night on the streets, and our 拢20 million investment to introduce a No Second Night Out principle across the country is helping to protect some of the most vulnerable in our society.

鈥淭he Homelessness Transition Fund has already made a difference to thousands of lives, and latest pot of funding is set to do more, helping to tackle rough sleeping and protecting vital homelessness services across the country.鈥�

Further information

This comes as government ministers attended the seventh Ministerial Working Group, which brings together representatives from across 8 government departments, including the Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions, to discuss the work taking place to ensure that this country鈥檚 homelessness safety net remains one of the strongest in the world.

Supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government and administered by , the umbrella body for homelessness charities, the Homelessness Transition Fund has awarded 拢16 million to 120 projects to date.

Applications for grants of up to 拢150,000 need to be made by 21 May 2013.

To find out more, see further information on the .

The (maximum grant up to 拢25,000 per application) aims to protect and enhance essential and strategically critical services for single homeless people and support them in the transition to becoming sustainable.