Shelter Housing Aid and Research Project (SHARP) was setup in the early 1970’s by a group of volunteers who were deeply concerned about poor housing and homelessness and wanted to do something for local people who were suffering bad conditions.

The aim of the new project was outlined:

“To secure a decent home for every household

at a price they can afford”

We believe it is a basic human right for everyone to have a warm, safe, secure and affordable home.  SHARP began offering free, confidential and impartial advice and assistance to people in housing need.  This is still the heart of our work.  In addition to this, we have been able to develop a wide range of services for people with housing problems and now have paid, trained staff who operate in an area that now covers Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire.

Until the mid-1990s SHARP relied upon a small number of annual grants – from national Shelter, Leicester City Council and the Department of the Environment – to fund most of its housing aid work, although local fundraising remained important. From 2000 onwards these grants were steadily reduced in real terms, and by 2007 they were no more. Offsetting some of these reductions until recently has been support from the Legal Services Commission (from 2000) and substantial gift aid from SHARP’s two trading arms, SHARP Training Recycling and Income Development Enterprise (STRIDE) and the Leicester Social Economy Consortium (LSEC), over the last 5 years.