Aims/priorities: The Trust's funding is intended to support its emphasis on the provision of homes, not just housing. It awards grants and interest-free loans to charitable organisations undertaking projects to provide housing for those in need.
The Trust offers the following support and informal advice to grassroots housing organisations across Britain:
- Advice at an early stage of new housing provision and to existing projects experiencing difficulties or seeking to expand.
- Grants and interest-free loans to enhance the quality of provision.
- Grants for feasibility studies to test specific proposals.
- A Health Check Service to evaluate the potential problems and growth for housing projects.
- Access to interest-bearing loans from the ethical Quaker Social Housing Account run by Triodos Bank.
In addition, the Trust also gives advice, information and encouragement to Quakers who are already involved with housing projects, enquiring about how to start a new project, or wanting to make use of their meeting's property and/or funds to meet housing need.
The Trust supports housing projects providing homes for a wide range of people of all ages including:
- People with mental and physical health problems.
- People with learning difficulties.
- People who would otherwise be homeless.
- Women escaping domestic violence.
- Single parents.
- Young families.
- People moving out of institutional care.
- People with addiction problems.
- Refugees, asylum seekers, migrants.
- Survivors of trafficking.
Who can apply? Charitable organisations that are operating in Britain that meet all of the following criteria are eligible to apply:
- Have legal charitable status (registered with Charity Commission, OSCR and/or HMRC).
- Be a small organisation with limited funds available for the work they want to do - an annual turnover of up to £1 million and without access to sufficient income, reserves, nor other fundraising, to pay for the work they want to do.
- Be meeting a real and demonstrable housing need.
- Be providing actual 'bricks & mortar' housing.
- Be letting the homes at a realistic rent which low income occupants can genuinely afford.
Organisations do not need to have pre-existing Quaker links or support in order to apply for funding.
Until the end of 2024, the Trust is particularly interested in projects from areas geographically underrepresented in previous grant applications (Wales and the East of England) and minoritised communities.
The length of occupancy in funded homes must be a minimum of three months.
Grant amount: Funding is awarded as follows:
- Best practice grants - up to £6,000.
- Main grants and loans - Up to £50,000 for a mixture of grants and loans. Up to £25,000 for grants.
Application process: Applications are dealt with on an individual basis and are considered at full meetings of the Trustees, which takes place five times a year.
For the Best Practice Grant and the Quaker Meetings and Communities Programme, there is a one-stage application process.
For the Main Grants and Loans Programme, there is a two-stage application process, starting with an Expression of Interest form.
Guidance notes and application forms can be found on the Quaker Housing Trust website.
Deadline: Wednesday12 June 2024.
Contact information: Tel: 020 7663 1057 Email: involveme@qht.org.uk
Website: Quaker Housing Trust