Apply for a grant

At the core of Homes For Us is a simple aim: to increase the strength of those fighting for more and better social housing.

As part of this, we will be granting £200,000 over the next three years to grassroots groups and organisations who are focused on one or more of the core aims of our programme:

• Increasing social housing nationally or locally
• Improving the quality and sustainability of new and existing social housing
• Empowering, and enforcing the rights of, social or private tenants

Currently, we have two pots of money to distribute to two grassroots groups within the UK. The pots are for £15,000 each, paid in 4 instalments over a 12 month period from March-March 2024. We are open minded about what you may find those funds useful for. Some groups have used this money to pay their organisers a wage. Some have used it to cover expenses such as regular childcare or meeting spaces for their members. Some have used it for campaigning materials.

These two pots of money are not simply pots of money. We don’t really mind how you choose to spend the funds themselves, but alongside the funding, each group will receive coaching, training and support from a NEF organiser who will help you learn and develop organising skills to grow your group’s power.

You should apply if:

• You are a constituted grassroots group or organisation, focused on housing, and your work supports the aims above.
• You have a clear idea of how this money would help you deliver your work, and what specifically you want your work to achieve.

You should not apply if:

• You do not have a group bank account which can receive funds, or access to another organisation’s for this purpose.
• You are a large NGO, union or charity, or a funded branch of one.

We are particularly looking for:

• Groups with a strong desire to, or history of, developing leaders from the grassroots of a community or section of society, who have lived experience of the housing crisis. For example, your committee may be made up of tenants from your estate, rather than charity workers from outside it.
• Groups whose work is grounded in the local, or a specific issue, but who are happy to take their fight national. For example, your problem may be a lack of accessible housing for disabled people in your area, but you want to push the government for more funding for this nationally, as well as your council to sort the problem locally.
• Groups who are happy to learn and receive coaching from NEF organisers We will run tailored, in person coaching and training to help you hone your organising and campaigning skills and support your work.

Please click here to apply — the deadline is 12pm, 28th February 2023.