£3m supported housing pilot schemes announced

The government has revealed it is to fund five supported housing pilot schemes around the country.

The schemes will run in Birmingham, Hull, Blackpool, Bristol and Blackburn until the end of March 2021.

According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the projects will focus on improving quality, enforcement, oversight and value for money in supported housing, focusing on short-term supported accommodation.

They will also ‘involve collaborative working between local partners and will carefully test different approaches to greater oversight of the sector’.

The government has also published a new National Statement of Expectations (NSE), setting out what it expects to see in standards, quality and value for money in supported housing and how this can be achieved by bringing together best practice across the sector.

‘Supported housing has the power to change the lives of the most vulnerable people in our communities for the better,’ said work and pensions minister, Baroness Stedman-Scott.

‘Backed by £3m, we will work with experienced partners to make sure that, across the board, this vital support is up to scratch.’

The chief executive of the National Housing Federation, Kate Henderson added: ‘We are glad to see the government taking this important step to set clear expectations for standards in supported housing. The National Statement of Expectations demonstrates the value of supported housing and reflects our close work with the government, as well as our members – the housing associations which provide most of the supported housing in this country.

‘We also welcome the funding for pilots, which will provide an opportunity to review how we can ensure these homes and services are of high quality, which housing associations are absolutely committed to.

‘Supported housing plays a vital role in our society, ensuring that thousands of people have the home and support they need to live independent and healthy lives. We must continue to invest in it and develop it, including building more supported housing to help more people access these desperately needed services.’

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