COVID-19 Homeless Support Fund

The Morrisons Foundation recognises that homeless people are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 because they are more likely to have underlying health conditions and are less able to access basic sanitation. 

Homelessness charities are raising concerns that if someone is sleeping rough or in a crowded night shelter, it’s impossible to self-isolate and maintain social distance so help is needed more than ever before.

In response to this, the Morrisons Foundation Trustees have pledged £500,000 towards the Homeless Support Fund.  The fund is designed to support charities caring for the homeless during the coronavirus outbreak and ensure help gets to those who need it most. 

Who Can Apply?

Registered charities that care for the homeless can apply for support to cover three broad areas:

● Outreach and support for rough sleepers, including provision of essentials

● Delivery of services in hostels and shelters

● Information and advice

To be considered for a grant from the COVID-19 Homeless Emergency Fund applicants should:

●    Be registered with the Commission/OSCR for a minimum of one year and have filed their documents (i.e. Trustee's Reports and Financial Accounts) on time

●    Work directly with homeless people and provide support of one (or more) of the areas the fund cover

●    Accept payment electronically over the phone (i.e. by Credit Card or BACS)

Application process

●    Eligible charities should complete the ‘Grant Funding’ application form.  When submitting an application please note ‘COVID-19 Homeless Support Fund’ as the name of the project

●    Applications will be considered up to a maximum of £10,000, but the emphasis is on smaller amounts to enable as many charities as possible can be supported from the fund

●    Applications will be reviewed and considered for support on a weekly basis

●    Submission of a request does not guarantee that a grant will be paid, the amount of the grant awarded is at the Trustees discretion and their decision is final

●    We will let you know the outcome of your application by email or phone

●    In the event of a successful application, payment will be made over the phone by card or BACS (where proof of charity’s banking details will be required) within 14 days

Applications will be accepted for 12 weeks or until the £500,000 emergency fund is depleted, after which time homeless charities are still welcome to submit applications for support, but will be considered through the established ‘Grant Funding’ process. For more details of this process, please refer to our Grant Funding policy.