Please note that this page has been retained for information purposes only and the special projects promotion allowance is no longer available.
Appliciable to schemes providing self-contained or shared housing for certain client groups. Associations gain this grant who are receiving capital funding under the supported housing procedures. Associations must met the NIHE criteria and rates.
Circumstances under which SPPA may be payable
Special Projects Promotion Allowance (SPPA) is a grant payable to Associations receiving capital funding under the Supported Housing procedures. In general, SPPA is only applicable to schemes providing self-contained or shared housing for certain client groups and where the Association will either:
- work in partnership with a voluntary group or another Association with the necessary specialist skills to tackle the particular management problems that such a project may present or
- manage the scheme itself
However schemes where services are provided under a support agreement with a statutory authority may also be eligible for SPPA.
Exceptionally, SPPA may also be available to Associations which are developing a scheme in partnership with an appropriate organisation which is ineligible for the special needs funding framework but is to provide housing for a client group attracting special needs investment, for example
- people with a physical disability including degenerative and debilitating illness
- people with learning difficulties
- people with mental health related problems
- people with drug or alcohol related problems
- people leaving penal establishments or probation refuges: people referred by the Probation Service or people at risk of offending
- people with AIDS/ARC or who are HIV+
- young people at risk or leaving care
- vulnerable women with children
- women at risk of domestic violence
- frail elderly people
Note: This list is not meant to be exhaustive or imply that people who fit a particular category necessarily require supported housing and the associated housing management services. Due to a reluctance to label tenants who have complex needs some schemes may have an identified client group of homeless people. If such schemes meet the Supported Housing Criteria and house tenants who require intensive and supportive housing management they will qualify.
SPPA Purpose
SPPA is intended to contribute towards the additional administrative costs involved in joint ventures and is an additional grant to the on-cost percentage applicable to schemes (Note: SPPA is not included with other costs for comparison with TCI for the scheme).
The full range of activities which the allowance is intended to cover are:
Direct Management
- consultation and negotiations with the relevant authorities
- identifying a suitable property within a specific brief
- dealing with specific planning, design and technical problems
- preparing revenue budgets and negotiating appropriate topping-up finance
Joint Management Arrangements
Involving the delegation of Housing Management Responsibilities
- all of the activities listed above plus
- researching the contribution of the partner agent
- consultations and negotiations with the partner agent
- devising a management agreement satisfactory to all parties
- devising a development agreement where appropriate
Approval Criteria
The following criteria will also be taken into account by the NIHE (DPG) in considering whether SPPA is payable:
- it must be clear that the Association does not itself have the expertise to undertake the management of the scheme unaided and
- it must be clear that the specialist voluntary agency or other Association has the necessary expertise
Allowances & Claiming SPPA
The level of SPPA is published by the DSD. It will be paid at the rate that applied to the year in which the scheme was given project approval.
Only one SPPA is payable per scheme.
SPPA Rates
Where a scheme is the Association’s first special needs development for direct management or its first scheme in partnership with a particular agency, SPPA will be payable at the higher rate. All other schemes will receive SPPA at the standard level.
In the case of schemes that will not be directly managed - the Association may have discretion on the allocation of SPPA between the Association and the other organisation on the basis of an assessment of the work to be undertaken by each party. When claiming the allowance the Association will also be required to certify that it will be indirectly managing the scheme in accordance with arrangements authorised by this Guide.