Million-pound grant helps The Salvation Army expand homelessness support

The Salvation Army has been awarded £1.07 million by the grant-making charity, Benefact Trust to expand its supported housing provision. 

The three-year funding will allow the church and charity to help people who are highly vulnerable but are unable to access local authority homelessness accommodation. 

With resources under increasing pressure, local authorities in England must apply strict eligibility criteria to prioritise groups such as families with dependent children and people with significant health or disability needs. While this support is essential, it can leave many other people in crisis with nowhere safe to live. 

Local authorities must also exclude anyone who is not legally eligible for state-provided homelessness accommodation, which can mean some people will have no option but to sleep rough. The move will complement The Salvation Army’s existing homelessness services that are commissioned by local authorities to provide supported accommodation to over 2,000 people every night.

Nick Redmore, Director of Homeless Services at The Salvation Army, said: “We are extremely grateful to Benefact Trust for this generous grant. It will make a significant difference to our ability to fill a critical gap in the current homelessness system and provide vital assistance to people who without our help would be left stranded. 

“Many people forced to sleep rough have been legally judged as not vulnerable enough to make them a priority for local authority housing even when they are living on the streets, sometimes for years. The law can also deny this accommodation to people if it’s considered that their actions contributed to them being homeless or they don’t qualify because of visa or immigration restrictions. But we know from our work that people in these situations have often suffered trauma and abuse and without support will be exposed to further harm. 

“Our Lifehouses are much more than somewhere to stay. They are places where people who’ve felt ignored and abandoned will find not only practical assistance but also safety, dignity and hope. With the help of Benefact Trust, we will now be more able to step in to tackle homelessness when and where we are needed most.” 

The number of people assisted through this grant will depend on local demand and who is most in need of support but projected to be over a hundred in total. Those who may benefit from the additional Lifehouse places will include people who don’t meet strict legal ‘priority need’ criteria* for local authority accommodation. This support will also be available in emergency cases where people are legally ineligible for housing because it was considered that they made themselves ‘intentionally homeless’** or have ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ due to their visa or immigration status***. 

 Alongside accommodation, each resident will have a dedicated support worker to help them access healthcare and mental wellbeing support, find employment or training opportunities and specialist help for debt or addiction to prepare them for independent living. 

 Benefact Trust funds programmes that drive social change by making a positive difference to the lives of vulnerable people.  

Paul Playford, Senior Grants and Programmes Officer for Benefact Trust, said: “Benefact Trust is proud to support this vital expansion of homelessness provision. We recognise that homelessness is a growing crisis and there is a real need to reach people who have nowhere else to turn.  

“Our ethos is to help the most vulnerable, and The Salvation Army’s commitment to offering dignity, safety and hope align deeply with our values. This funding will help ensure that people who fall through the gaps in the system are not forgotten but given the chance to rebuild their lives and given the opportunity to flourish.” 

* Priority need is used by councils to ensure the most vulnerable get emergency support and includes parents with dependent children and people with a disability. While it’s essential these groups are helped, this still leaves thousands facing sleeping on the streets. For further details visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-local-authorities/chapter-8-priority-need 

** Intentionally homeless is a legal term that applies to individuals who are deemed to have deliberately done, or failed to do, something that directly caused them to lose their home. For further details visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-local-authorities/chapter-9-intentional-homelessness

***No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) means people will not be able to claim most benefits, tax credits or housing assistance that are paid by the state. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-funds--2/public-funds