HOMESHARE PROGRAMME

The BIG Lottery Fund, in collaboration with The Lloyds Bank Foundation, has established what it claims as the UK's first ever Homeshare Programme.

The three-year, £2 million investment initiative aims to tackle the lack of affordable housing for young people and the growing number of older people who are lonely or isolated by matching young people seeking affordable accommodation with older people who have a spare room.

No minimum or maximum award levels are provided by the BIG Lottery. The budget for this round is, however, given on the BIG website as £900,000.

Typically, the younger party is expected to pledge approximately 10 hours of companionship and light domestic help (not including personal care) to their host in return for accommodation, and both parties would contribute an affordable monthly fee to cover the cost of the scheme and to ensure that the service remains sustainable.

The Programme begins this month with the first two pilot initiatives being run by Age UK Oxfordshire and Novus Homeshare due to start.

The BIG Lottery Fund is keen to support a number of additional Homeshare pilot developments throughout the UK, and is currently inviting applications.

Voluntary, community and statutory organisations throughout the UK are eligible to apply, including:

• Registered charities.
• Unincorporated associations set up as voluntary and community groups.
• Community Interest Companies.
• Not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee.
• Community benefit societies.
• Town or parish councils.
• Statutory bodies, including schools.

Partnerships between the voluntary and community sector and the statutory sector are strongly encouraged.

The BIG Lottery Fund is particularly interested in funding projects that:

• Broaden the appeal of Homeshare as an affordable solution to reducing isolation and loneliness for older people.
• Develop the Homeshare model in order to support those most in need, including people with disabilities and carers.
• Identify and address barriers to accessing Homeshare schemes.
• Build relationships between organisations and/or sectors by working in partnership.
• Share learning about how to support the sustainability of the Homeshare.

Further information on the scheme is available from the BIG Lottery Fund’s website.

Initial Expressions of Interest are due by midday on Thursday 2 July 2015.  

(Source: GRIN)