Manchester partners with crowdfunding platform to support homeless residents

Manchester City Council in the UK has announced a partnership with Beam, a social enterprise that fundraises on behalf of homeless people.

Through Beam’s platform, people can raise money for items that can be a financial obstacle to moving into a home. This can include funds to pay for a laptop or training to help secure employment, as well as money for a rental deposit, moving van and other homeware essentials.

Donations can be made online, along with messages of support.

Manchester’s pilot partnership with Beam will initially support 25 families living in temporary accommodation over a 12-month period, to move them into their own private rental homes.

Councillor Joanna Midgley, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “No-one chooses homelessness voluntarily and when it happens, it can be devastating, which is why we are looking at a range of solutions to help people secure affordable and decent homes in Manchester.

“Our new partnership with Beam is an innovative approach to improve people’s life chances, supporting them, where possible, into sustainable jobs, allowing them to move out of temporary accommodation and into their own homes. This is coupled with individual, tailored support which is critical to the success of sustaining an affordable home and which is available to everyone on this pilot scheme.”

Referral scheme

Homeless people are referred to Beam by local authorities, registered charities and other local services. They then receive support from a caseworker to prepare a fundraising campaign and once the funds have been raised, items are purchased directly by Beam on behalf of the individual.

Beam also matches people with employers and vetted landlords that it has partnerships with.

According to the organisation, 80 percent of donations are split across campaigns and it takes an average of 17 days to reach each fundraising target. Over 1,390 people have been supported and over £3.9 million (US$4.8 million) raised since 2017.

Other councils that have partnered with Beam include Aberdeen, Fareham, Leicester, and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Seb Barker, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Beam, said: “Beam is using technology to empower homeless families in Manchester by giving them an online support network and all the tools they need to accelerate their journey into stable jobs and housing.”

Beam also supports crowdfunding for refugees.