You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Our supported housing proposals will give providers the assurance they need
As a consultation on the government’s funding plans closes tomorrow, government ministers Kit Malthouse and Heather Wheeler urge you to have your say
Eighty-two-year-old Sylvia’s life is London.
She was born in Southwark and ended up in Lambeth, where she lived in the same social rented home at Denby Court for 32 years.
It was sad for Sylvia when the time came for her to move.
But when she saw her new home she cried with joy. She was moving to Bankhouse, a new extra care housing scheme also in Lambeth.
The new development, run by One Housing, means Sylvia can live in her own home in her hometown, and get the extra support she needs.
Now she’s settled in, Sylvia says she likes the security, and with the support of care staff she will be able to carry on living the independent life she deserves.
And hers is just one story.
READ MORE
At any one time, more than 700,000 people across the country are living in supported housing – that’s more than the number of people living in Lambeth, Lincoln and Luton combined.
It’s no wonder that this diverse sector sits at the heart of our support for vulnerable people.
From people with learning and physical disabilities, to women fleeing domestic violence, it provides vital support and a safe haven for many.
We also know that as our population ages, there’ll be more 82-year-olds like Sylvia who will want to carry on living independently – we’d hope to be two of them.
That’s why securing the sector for the long term is a priority.
“Supported housing provides vital support and a safe haven for many.”
Our predecessors worked hard with partners in the sector and set out their plans in a consultation launched last year.
For short-term supported housing, it’s a flexible funding model. By tailoring our approach to the type of accommodation, we can aim to get it right for everyone.
This means it will be funded through a new ringfenced grant to local authorities in England.
Meanwhile, we will continue to fund all sheltered and extra care accommodation for people like Sylvia, along with long-term supported housing, through the welfare system.
While we delivered more than 27,000 new supported homes in England between 2011 and 2017, the new plans should give housing providers the long-term assurance they need to keep building.
Our proposals stand alongside the effort across government to help people live independently for as long as possible.
For example, the Department of Health and Social Care has invested more than £1bn since 2010 to help people stay in their homes by funding adaptions, and has launched a £25m fund for housing and technology, supporting people with a learning disability to live as independently as possible.
The new model we are proposing will take time to implement.
And we want to make sure that the changes don’t disrupt people’s lives, or give them any cause to worry, so we will not rush these through.
Instead of 2019, we are now looking at bringing the changes in from April 2020.
In the lead-up to that, we will work closely with the sector on the technical details of the model.
“We will work closely with the sector on the technical details of the model.”
But the consultation on these proposals closes tomorrow (23 January).
Before it does, we want to encourage people to have their say.
We want to hear what you think and our ears are open – just as our predecessors’ were.
We all agree that the role of supported housing is vital. This consultation is about finding the best way to secure its future.
Kit Malthouse, parliamentary under-secretary of state for family support, housing and child maintenance, Department for Work and Pensions; and Heather Wheeler, parliamentary under-secretary of state for housing and homelessness, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
