On 2 July 2022 the DLUHC launched the Supported Housing Improvement Programme which the government says will help councils in worst-affected areas tackle bad quality and poor value for money in supported housing. The Department says that there are instances of supported housing landlords providing unacceptable levels of support while charging extortionate rents. For example, there have been reports of landlords providing as little support as dropping off a box of cereal while claiming £250 per week in an area where the average rent is £80.

Government measures will include:

• minimum standards for support provided to residents in order to help their progress towards living independently
• new powers for local authorities to better manage their local supported housing market and ensure no individual falls through the cracks
• changes to Housing Benefit regulations to seek to define care, support, and supervision to improve quality across all specified supported housing provision.

On the same day the DLUHC opened the bidding round for local councils to apply for funding from a £20 million Supported Housing Improvement Programme. For the announcement, click here. For the prospectus for the Programme, click here.

On 30 June 2022 the House of Commons Library published a research briefing which provides an overview of the regulation of supported exempt accommodation and calls for increased oversight, improved funding, and better standards of support provision.

For the briefing, click here.