Projects can win prizes of £30,000, £20,000 or £10,000. This year’s London Homelessness Awards are now open for applications with a prize fund of £60,000.
The awards are now seen as one of the most prestigious in the sector – recognising innovation and excellence in projects across London working with people who are, or at risk of becoming, homeless. The awards culminate in a high profile event at the Union Chapel in Islington on October 12th.
As well as cash prizes of £30,000, £20,000 and £10,000 winners receive a range of business development initiatives, including a specially commissioned video.
Last year’s winners were The Money House, a unique scheme teaching participants how to manage tenancies, which has seen a 64% drop in evictions for those users at risk of becoming homeless.
Run by the charity MyBnk, the project takes young people and places them in a simulated living environment, very much like the one they will soon be responsible for.
Nick Smith-Patel, Head of Young Adult Education, MyBnk, said:
“Everyone at MyBnk was thrilled to receive this award. This project has so much potential, we’re just scratching the surface – every young Londoner moving into independent living needs this experience. When it comes to homelessness, prevention is always cheaper than the cure and this award recognises the power of just-in-time intervention to stop a young person from becoming another bad statistic.”
Other prize winners, winning £20,000 and £10,000 were Camden Health Improvement; Southwark Law Centre: Homeless Patients Legal Advocacy Service and St Mungo’s: Westminster Street Outreach Service.
Ian Brady, Executive Chair of London Housing Foundation said:
“The awards are now a key event in the calendar of the housing and homelessness sector in London and we are very proud to be able to sponsor them. After an enforced break in 2020 last year’s ceremony was a brilliant celebration of the projects providing great work across London.”
The awards are open to not-for-profit organisations based in London working in the field of homelessness including charities, registered social landlords, Local Authorities, London NHS and health related organisations, voluntary and statutory organisations or a partnership of these agencies.
To watch a film about the 2021 award winners and find out more details about how to enter this year’s awards, please go to www.lhawards.org.uk
The London Homelessness Awards are sponsored by London Housing Foundation, Crisis, Shelter, the Mayor of London and the London Housing Directors.