ADD2820 Extensions to pan‑London Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme services for 2026-27, and allocation of budget to Clearing House and TST services

1.1.    In August 2025, Mayoral Decision (MD) 3386 approved the establishment of the Accommodation and Support for Those Who Need it Most programme. This is one of 21 strategic high-level programmes to achieve London-level outcomes. The decision delegated authority to the Assistant Director, Housing Programmes and Partnerships (in consultation with the Executive Director for Housing and Land, the Executive Director for Communities and Skills, and the Mayoral Delivery Board), to approve the receipt of additional funding from central government. This funding was to expand or extend certain existing schemes in the Accommodation and Wider Support for Those Who Need it Most delivery plan (including through Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant (RSPARG)), where the parameters of the scheme remain the same or similar. This delegation was subject to consultation with legal advisers and the GLA’s Chief Finance Officer, and subsequently securing agreement from the Mayoral Delivery Board. 

1.2.    Under MD3386, for the purposes of considering whether the parameters are similar as originally agreed with government, the Executive Director of Housing and Land should consider whether the outcomes to be delivered have changed significantly; or if there is a significant change to the attendant risks of the original programme. The objectives of RSPARG funding remain the same as when it was first received through MD3331. On this basis, it is considered that the parameters of the programme remain the same or similar. The GLA’s legal advisers and the Chief Finance Officer have been consulted regarding the proposed additional funding; and the Mayoral Delivery Board’s agreement has been secured in respect of the same. The Assistant Director, Housing Programmes and Partnerships, therefore has the delegated authority, under MD3386, to make the decisions sought in this decision form.

Decision 1: Extension of RSAP grant agreements

1.3.    The Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) was launched by the government in 2020, as a four‑year capital and revenue programme. It is designed to create long‑term, self‑contained accommodation for people with a history of rough sleeping; and sits alongside the tenancy sustainment support required to help them maintain their homes. Across its phased delivery from 2020 to 2025, RSAP has funded several thousand accommodation units nationally, with London delivering over 1,300 of these. Residents of these homes are supported by more than 60 individual support schemes of varying size and support models. In addition to borough‑based provision, a small number of pan‑London schemes were directly funded by the GLA to meet needs that extend beyond individual borough boundaries. RSAP sits under the Accommodation and Wider Support for Those Who Need It Most Delivery Plan (MD3386).

1.4.    In September 2020, MD2687 approved receipt and spend of £93.4 million in capital and revenue funding for the delivery of RSAP in London. 

1.5.    In March 2021, MD2783 approved an additional £66.2 million in capital and revenue funding for further delivery of RSAP in London until 2025. 

1.6.    In February 2025, MD3331 approved an additional £9.5 million in revenue funding for an additional year of delivery, up to 31 March 2026.

1.7.    In December 2025, central government confirmed that, from 1 April 2026: 
•    there will be no separate, ring-fenced RSAP revenue stream
•    all homelessness, rough sleeping and domestic abuse revenue funding will be consolidated into a single grant to local authorities and the GLA. 
As local authorities take on this responsibility, boroughs will determine the continuation of RSAP services in their areas.

1.8.    There are 10 pan-London RSAP schemes that currently sit outside borough-led RSAP structures: 

1.9.    The scheme Sh06 (Camden) is already under contract until 31 March 2027, with funding previously approved from the GLA’s RSAP revenue reserves (see MD3331). Therefore, scheme Sh06 is not included in this decision for any additional approval. However, it has been added to the table above to provide a complete picture of the GLA’s RSAP revenue commitments from 1 April 2026 onwards. 

1.10.    The remaining nine schemes all have funding agreements that end on 31 March 2026.

1.11.    Extensions of up to 12 months for revenue funding to these nine services will allow time to review and consider the most appropriate long-term options for each service, at which point a further decision will be sought.

1.12.    It is anticipated that, subject to the specific decision reach for each scheme, some schemes may require less than a full 12-month extension. However, an extension of “up to 12 months” is sought in all cases to allow for this uncertainty.

1.13.    An inflationary uplift of up to 3.5 per cent has been proposed for each scheme’s 2026-27 funding in recognition of increased delivery costs. 

1.14.    The newly approved spend totals £1,493,335. It is allocated to each scheme as follows:

Decision 2: Allocation of budget to Clearing House and TST services

1.15.    ADD2800, paragraph 1.18, approved spending £30,791,014 across Clearing House and Tenancy Sustainment Team (TST) contracts for a six-year funding period.

1.16.    This decision approves reallocating £1,224,236 of the total in ADD2800 from the Clearing House budget line into the TST budget line, with no additional expenditure. This is required because of the service design decisions taken since ADD2800 was approved. These decisions have led to requirements, previously part of the Clearing House service specifications, being moved into the TST service specifications. Resource must, therefore, be reallocated between the services, so that these decisions can be implemented.

1.17.    This decision also approves new expenditure, from core GLA budget and HRSDAG, of up to £9,991,554. This is in addition to the already-approved sum in ADD2800 – bringing the total six-year combined budget for Clearing House and TSTs to £40,782,568. This is to: 
•    allow several existing service functions to continue under the new contracts
•    add one element that was previously separately funded under RSAP – Sh507 – into the new contracts, rather than letting it continue as a stand-alone service.

1.18.    The table below shows the total funding approved for Clearing House and TST services across ADD2800 (approved January 2026) and this decision.
 

1.19.    All considerations for this funding are the same as in ADD2800 (January 2026).

2.1.    The extensions to pan‑London RSAP services in 2026–27 are designed to maintain essential support for residents currently housed through RSAP-funded schemes, while enabling a safe, phased transition to new funding and delivery arrangements. The objectives and expected outcomes are summarised below.

The objectives and expected outcomes for the Clearing House and TST funding are unchanged from ADD2800.

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the GLA must have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. The temporary extension of these pan-London RSAP services is expected to have a positive impact on equality and is considered necessary to prevent disproportionate harm to groups overrepresented among people who sleep rough.

3.2.    People supported through RSAP are disproportionately likely to have multiple and intersecting support needs, including mental health problems, substance use needs, a history of trauma, and long periods of rough sleeping. Research and operational data show that rough sleeping in London disproportionately affects people with protected characteristics, including:
•    Black and minority ethnic communities, who are significantly over-represented among people who sleep rough
•    non-UK nationals, who make up around half of people seen sleeping rough and who often face additional barriers linked to immigration status, language, or access to services
•    Roma communities, who experience extremely high rates of poverty and homelessness and are vastly over-represented in rough sleeping statistics relative to the general population
•    women, who are more likely to experience hidden homelessness, domestic abuse, coercive control, and higher safeguarding risks
•    younger people, who experience higher risk of interpersonal violence and exploitation
•    disabled people, including those with mental health conditions or long-term health difficulties
•    LGBTQIA+ individuals, who are disproportionately represented in youth homelessness and may face discrimination or exclusion in mainstream accommodation settings.

3.3.    Ending the RSAP revenue stream on 31 March 2026 without appropriate transitional arrangements would create a significant equality risk, as many residents rely on consistent tenancy sustainment and specialist support to remain safely housed. Stopping services suddenly would likely result in tenancy loss, a return to rough sleeping, or the need to access high risk emergency provision – all of which disproportionately affect people with protected characteristics.

3.4.    In line with the GLA’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, and the Mayor’s Rough Sleeping Plan of Action, these extensions will help maintain support for cohorts for whom homelessness and rough sleeping are driven by structural barriers, discrimination and disproportionality. Providers will still be required to deliver services in a way that is responsive to the needs of people with protected characteristics; and to report on risks, safeguarding, and outcomes throughout the extension period.
 

4.1.    Risks and issues

4.2.    The proposed activity directly supports delivery of the following Mayoral strategies and priorities: 

•    Mayor’s Accommodation and wider support for those who Need It Most: aligns with the programme’s objectives to deliver sustainable housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness. 

•    Mayor’s Housing Strategy: contributes to the aim of tackling homelessness and helping rough sleepers by increasing access to affordable and supported housing. 

•    Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy: ensures services are inclusive and culturally competent, addressing barriers faced by women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, migrants, and people with complex needs. 
 

5.1.    Approval is being sought for the following:
•    grant‑funding variations, to allow extensions of up to 12 months (April 2026 to March 2027) for nine pan-London RSAP services outlined in this decision, to maintain continuity of support during transition to borough responsibility or integration into new GLA-commissioned services, up to the value of £1,493,335
•    reallocating £1,224,236 from the Clearing House budget to the TST budget (no new spend)
•    spending £9,991,554 from GLA core and HRSDAG budgets for the Clearing House and TST services over six years from 2026-27 to 2032-33.

    Extensions of RSAP services 

5.2.    The total cost of these extensions will be up to £1,493,335. Therefore, approval is also requested to spend £1,493,335 that is proposed to be funded from the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Grant (HRSDAG), allocated to the GLA via Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) integrated settlement funding for 2026-27.

Clearing House and TST services
5.3.    This decision proposes reallocation of £1,224,236 from the Clearing House budget line to the TST budget. This is required because of the service design decisions taken since ADD2800 was approved. These decisions have led to requirements, previously part of the Clearing House service specifications, being moved into the TST service specifications. Resource must, therefore, be reallocated between the services, so that these design decisions can be implemented. This is not an additional budget request; the reallocation is already part of the budget resources approved via ADD2800.

5.4.    ADD2800 approved spending £30,791,014 across Clearing House and TST contracts for a six-year funding period. However, this decision seeks approval for new, additional spend of up to £9,991,554 for the same six-year period. This brings the combined total budget for these services to £40,782,568. This additional spend will be funded wholly from the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Grant (HRSDAG) allocated to the GLA via MHCLG integrated settlement funding.

5.5.    The initial budget (as approved by ADD2800) for the GLA Core Rough Sleeping and HRSDAG funding from MHCLG is included in the draft budget for 2026-27 to 2028-29. However, this is subject to the final budget being approved. The proposed spending plan for the proposed six-year contract, lasting up to 2032-33, will form part of the GLA’s medium-term financial strategy. All future years’ budget allocations will be subject to approval of the GLA budget for each subsequent financial year.

5.6.    To mitigate against risk of insufficient funding, break clauses should be included in the contracts and funding agreements, should funding change for future years. All contracts and extension of funding is also subject to funding allocation from MHCLG being confirmed. 

5.7.    All appropriate budget adjustments will be made. 
 

6.1.    This work will be delivered according to the following timetable:

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