My Department operates a scheme of grants to voluntary organisations under which "once-off" grants to assist with the cost of capital items such as equipment, transport and premises may be made to a range of voluntary and community organisations. Grants for ongoing running expenses other than salaries or wages may also be made, but only in very exceptional circumstances.
However, in this year's budget a special allocation of £100,000 (national lottery funded) was made available to my Department to assist organisations working with homeless children and grants were made to eleven organisations.
From time to time special budget allocations (also national lottery funded) have been made to organisations working with the homeless to assist with their services, including the Capuchins and the Simon Community.