New housing delivery is a problem for many landlords, but the issues are arguably more acute in supported housing given the complex and challenging operating environment. The National Housing Federation estimate that we need to provide 167,000 more supported homes by 2040. It’s a big ask. The huge demand for housing for people with learning disabilities and autistic people in particular is estimated to be between 1,800-2,300 per annum up to 2037. These stark numbers, against a backdrop of historic under provision, was outlined by the Learning Disability and Autism Housing Network (LDAHN), a group which we at Care are proud to be part of. [1]
The challenges are varied. We have a grant funding system which just doesn’t work for supported housing, where higher costs are necessary to provide homes that are fit for purpose and centred around the needs of our tenants. We have a perceived issue with high rents in the sector too. I say ‘perceived’ as I believe a lack of understanding from some, not all, around the costs of providing supported housing leaves little space for understanding and appropriate scrutiny. At Care, we provide anything from one-bedroom apartments, shared housing, up to 4-5 bed, highly adapted and bespoke homes for single people. All are necessary to create an environment in which our tenants can flourish, but the costs naturally vary greatly. However, through the current housing benefit and regulatory systems, I feel that there is little room for nuance, and if we don’t get support from all parties, we simply can’t take the risk.
Speaking of risk, our partners which includes local authority adult social care commissioners and care providers, are increasingly closer to breaking point. We have seen local authorities go bankrupt, and care providers handing contracts back as they simply can’t make ends meet. Without sharing risk with our partners, housing supply in the sector will continue to be suppressed.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. We work with lots of local authorities, care providers, and other housing providers like us so come up with creative, sustainable solutions. The problem now (and seemingly since I joined the sector in 2011) is developing quality accommodation at scale, and it’s a sad reality that the money is not in the system to support the demand. This despite that fact that, in most cases, the savings to the overall public purse are demonstrable. The fact is that, without supported housing, more people are at risk of homelessness, or having to move into ‘institutional’ care, which places much greater pressures on the public healthcare systems. And do you know what; the outcomes those involved are substantially worse.
It’s not as easy problem to fix, but Care and our partners in the LDAHN are committed to doing what we can. Our Charter[2], which was launched in 2021, has four calls for action which, unfortunately, as relevant now as they were then.
- Government to create a more comprehensive and integrated national and local planning and policy framework for supported housing, designed to ensure that supported housing receives an appropriate share of available resources and in particular that local commissioners have access to the tools and information required to address growing needs.
- Government to create the conditions for growth of supply by allocating a higher proportion of the new affordable homes programme to new housing for people with learning disability and autism.
- A rent standard that supports the commissioning and funding of new supported housing for people with high support needs.
- A long-term sustainable, consistent housing benefit regime for supported housing
We’ll keep banging the drum, and keep looking at innovative, sustainable, quality solutions, knowing first hand the amazing impact supported housing can have on people’s lives.
[1] https://www.glh.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/LDAHN-Research-summary-June-2023-compressed.pdf
[2] https://www.housinglin.org.uk/_assets/Resources/Housing/OtherOrganisation/LDAHN-Charter.pdf