Grants

The Homes for Us grant is a participatory model of funding aimed at resourcing the grassroots housing movement. We aim to fund individuals and groups with limited financial resources; who are often overlooked from funding opportunities and yet are making significant improvements in the lives of communities most impacted by the housing crisis. They might be fighting rogue landlords, private developers or advocating for migrant justice. If their work is improving the grassroot housing movement, then we are keen to reach out and invite them to apply to our fund.

With thanks to Oak Foundation, the fund is being distributed between 2023 and 2025 and so far we have funded over 100k to 21 individuals and groups across the UK.

How we work

The New Economics Foundation coordinates a panel of housing activists with lived experience of housing injustice from across the UK and supports the facilitation, due diligence and administration of the participatory Homes for Us grant.

  • Based on the learnings of each round, panel members work to develop and adapt the grant to meet the needs of communities most impacted by the housing crisis.
  • Each regranting panel member uses their knowledge, connections and research skills to identify groups/​individuals that meet our criteria.
  • The regranting panel work flexibly to reach out to possible individuals and groups to fund and collectively agree with other panel members who we are inviting to apply for a Homes for Us grant. 

The grant is only offered to groups/​individuals invited to apply

The panel members support grantees throughout the process of applying to receive the grant. If individuals or groups don’t have bank accounts or legal structures, we support them to onboard to Social Change Nest to fiscally host their grant.

When grant proposals are submitted, the Homes for Us regranting panel review the proposals and make decisions. Addressing our own biases, being open-minded to challenge and emphatic to the cause are essential skills that enable our decision making process.

“It’s really good to put money in the hands of people who need it most. My skills are so often overlooked or listened too.. So it was good to invert the power dynamics that typically exist within funding.”
Elle, HFU Regranting panel member

Funding Criteria

We will fund individuals, groups and organisations who are aligned with 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 tenant

We will fund:

  • Charitable organisations: CICs, CIOS, and unincorporated groups, or branches of tenant unions (annual income under £100,000).
  • Individuals over the age of 16.

We will not fund:

  • Private businesses, schools and universities, trusts.
  • Work located outside of the UK.
  • Those under 16 years old.
  • Large NGOs, unions or charities (income over £100,000), or a funded branch of one.

We will actively reach out to and prioritise grantees/​organisations that:

  • Are led by and for marginalised groups, traditionally excluded from funding. We will prioritise racialised communities, people of global majority, working class people, migrants, those of marginalised genders, disabled people, LGBTQI+ people, survivors- and those living at the intersection of multiple marginalised identities.
  • Are located in areas that receive little social justice work funding.
  • Have not received HFU funding before.

To find out more email info@homesforus.org.uk