Bidding open for next round of Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme funding

Councils and their partners have until midday on 13 April 2022 to submit their co-produced proposals for the next round of Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) funding.

Work must start on site by 31 March 2023, with completion by the end of March 2024. Most of the remaining capital funding is available for the financial year 2022/23, with a small amount available in 2023/24. Revenue funding is available for the financial years 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25.

Tips for co-producing a proposal

• For this round of funding, Homes England want to focus on refurbishing existing stock and new build. Due to the short timescale of the funding, they will look for schemes that already have traction.
• The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) are keen for revenue funding to be used where support has a clear link to delivery, rather than revenue-only bids.
• Be creative in your proposal. Refurbished stock does not only have to be residential, it could be shops, offices or commercial spaces, and could use modern methods of construction (MMC) on brownfield sites.
• Homes England are flexible. Dispersed, self-contained accommodation is preferred but it’s recognised that acquiring or building that type of property may not be viable, especially in high value property areas, so shared accommodation is an option. 
• Talk to your Homes England growth manager if you have ideas but need further guidance on the specifics, such as whether the proposal is expensive or not.
• Longer leases will be prioritised by Homes England. New build properties must have a minimum life expectancy of 60 years, acquired dwellings must have a life expectancy of 30 years.
• Social investment is an option for purchasing properties at speed for providers who would have difficulty accessing funding.

The full RSAP guidance is available on the government’s website.

If you have further questions then please get in touch with our team.