THE final share of a £20m funding pot to alleviate homelessness has opened for bids.

Housing minister Mark Prisk called on the voluntary sector, social enterprises and homelessness charities across the country to bid a share of the fund.

The minister opened bids for the final round of the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund on Wednesday (24 April).

Organisations can bid for a share of £3.5 million funding in this final round. It offers grants of up to £150,000 to invest in innovative new ways of preventing and tackling rough sleeping.

Alongside this, a £500,000 pot will be available to help protect and enhance essential services for single homeless people and get them 'future ready'.

To date the Homelessness Transition Fund has helped projects across the country reach nearly 12,000 people, half of which were new rough sleepers prevented from spending a second night on the street.

This final year of funding is designed particularly to help more areas adopt the No Second Night Out principle and maintain services to support single people and young people facing the prospect of sleeping rough.

The fund is one of a range of prevention measures supported by the government. In total, ministers have provided £470 million funding - protecting one of the strongest safety nets in the world against homelessness.

Mr Prisk said: "No-one should have to face a night on the streets, and our £20 million investment to introduce a No Second Night Out principle across the country is helping to protect some of the most vulnerable in our society.

The latest pot of funding would help to tackle rough sleeping and protect vital homelessness services across the country.