The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund: Why Workforce Development Should Be Central to Your Bid

Applications open Monday 23rd February for the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund (EHCF) - a £37 million, three-year investment (2026–2029) aimed at expanding community-based support, transforming day services, and preventing crisis and repeat rough sleeping across England. This fund forms a vital part of delivering the national plan to end homelessness. 

It specifically supports those who have experienced the longest periods on the streets and rely on trusted relationships and flexible provision to move forward. By reshaping local responses, building stronger pathways into accommodation, and supporting sustained recovery, the fund plays a key role in meeting the government’s commitment to halving long-term rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament. 

For charities and small businesses working with homelessness and substance misuse, this fund offers a chance to build lasting capacity, especially through workforce development. 

What the Fund Prioritises 

MHCLG emphasises system-wide transformation, collaboration, and the need for local authorities and the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) to work together to deliver person-centred, trauma-informed care that prevents homelessness and promotes long-term recovery. 

Key objectives include: 

• Increasing community-based support

• Enhancing day services (including staff development) 

• Supporting recovery and preventing repeat homelessness 

Achieving these aspirational goals depends on skilled, confident frontline workers capable of managing complex trauma, removing barriers to support, and fostering recovery. 

Why Workforce Development Matters 

Strong bids don’t just promise more services; they show how organisations will strengthen their teams to sustain impact. 

There is evidence indicating that workforce development can contribute to reduced burnout [1,2-3] enhanced trauma-informed practice, and greater capacity for relational, person-centred care[4]. 

Embedding a clear training and development framework demonstrates sustainability beyond the funding period - a crucial factor in competitive applications. 

Work with aneemo to define your Workforce Development Plan 

This is a perfect opportunity to include aneemo as a specialist workforce development partner, bringing expert knowledge of trauma-informed care and workforce strategy to your application. 

aneemo can help you with: 

•  Expert organisational consultation time from Dr Emma Williamson (consultant clinical psychologist) on developing interventions that drive prevention and prevent crisis.  

• Design training and development frameworks aligned to fund objectives 

• Supporting writing application proposals

• Delivering trauma-informed training and leadership support

• Embedding workforce strategies that prevent crisis and support recovery

• Building supervision and reflective practice models to reduce burnout 

Including aneemo in your partnership strengthens your bid by demonstrating a credible, expert-led plan to develop and sustain your workforce essential for delivering the fund’s ambitious goals. 

Turning Funding into Sustainable Change 

Ending homelessness means transforming not just services, but the people who deliver them. 

If you’re applying to the EHCF or planning how to embed staff development in your funded work, aneemo offers practical expertise to guide you from proposal to delivery. 

Deadline for applications: Midday Monday 31st March 2026. 

Get in touch now— together, let’s build stronger teams to deliver lasting impact. 

To read more about the fund, visit. 

[1] Maslach introduced the Six Areas of Work life Model to structure the large number of studies on organisational risk factors for burnout  

[2] Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Peeters, M. C. W., & Breevaart, K. (2021). New directions in burnout research. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 30(5), 686–691. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1359432X.2021.1979962  

[3] Bagasi, A., Al Harbi, E. K., Alabbasi, S. M., Alqaedi, R. O., Alharbi, B. A., & Alhomaid, T. A. (2025, July 25). Effectiveness of workplace mental health programs in reducing occupational burnout: A systematic review. Cureus. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12375206/ 

[4] Lim, E. L. P., Ong, R. H. S., Thor, J., Allgurin, M., Andersson Gäre, B., & Thumboo, J. (2023, November 24). An evaluation of the relationship between training of health practitioners in a person-centred care model and their person-centred attitudes. International Journal of Integrated Care. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10668878/