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Supported Housing

Housing support can be provided as an integral part of a tenancy, lease, or home ownership. Examples include Extra Care or sheltered housing for older adults, as well as supported housing or independent living for working-age adults with a long-term condition or disability.

With the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act soon coming into force, we have collated a selection of essential tools and resources on supported housing in one place for commissioners and providers, as well as listing below the types of consultancy activities the Housing LIN is already undertaking to support the sector to prepare for the Act. For example, this includes working with local authorities and their partners:

using our modelling tools and market data to assess the demand for supported housing
carrying out qualitative research to capture the needs and aspirations of people living in supported accommodation and/or In receipt of housing-related support services
reviewing the quality of supported housing and/or housing-related services to benchmark against what good looks like and/or ensure it meets the standards required, and
producing supported housing strategies to help inform local plans, market position statements, housing and homelessness strategies and future supply of supported housing and related services.

For more on the Act, visit here. You will also find resources related to Extra Care Housing (including sheltered housing) on our Extra Care pages. You will also find some resources that are specific to particular service user groups on the following relevant topic pages: Dementia, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Learning Disability, Older People.

And lastly, for our full range of consultancy and advisory services, visit here or contact us at consultancy@housinglin.org.uk

Supported Housing: Guidance for local authorities in England

This guidance from the Local Government Association aims to support councils to prepare effectively for the implementation of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act by improving oversight, strengthening provider relationships, and ultimately ensuring better outcomes for residents.

The Financial Benefits of Supported Housing

This research briefing from the National Housing Federation gives their latest findings and statistics on the financial benefits of supported housing.

Housing LIN signs up to Save our Supported Housing Campaign

The Housing LIN is proud to be a signatory to the National Housing Federation’s campaign, #SOSHousing. Over 150 other organisations and charities have signed a letter to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer urging government to invest in supported housing.

Supported Housing regulation: consultation

The government has published its proposals for implementing measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 and changes to Housing Benefit Regulations.

Housing LIN Animation: Future-Ready Sheltered Housing for Tomorrow's World

The Housing Learning and Improvement Network (Housing LIN) is excited to announce the release of a compelling new animation titled "The Regeneration of Outdated Sheltered Housing", based on insights from the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People’s (APPG-HCOP) Inquiry Report, funded by Abbeyfield. Serving as the APPG’s Secretariat and authoring the report, Housing LIN presents this animation to educate and inspire viewers on the past, present, and future of sheltered housing for older adults in the UK.

Redefining retirement communities with Sanctuary Supported Living

Written by Amanda Ellwood-Roberts, Deputy Head of Service for Sanctuary Supported Living, this blog talks about Sanctuary Supported Living’s new vision for retirement communities and how it’s reshaping our approach to supporting people in later life.

Housing LIN Case Study (No. 172) Supported living homes for Wandsworth: Turning a dream into reality

Wandsworth Council has successfully completed its second supported housing development for young people with disabilities at Colson Way in Tooting. This project follows the success of Stag House in Putney Vale, which was shortlisted for Best Affordable Housing Development at the Inside Housing Awards 2021.

Supported housing: report by House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts

This report finds a sector riddled with long-standing challenges and warns of a lack of protections for vulnerable people being housed in poor-quality accommodation, with unsuitable or no additional support provided.

Supported Housing – raising standards and improving the quality of support

To coincide with Starts at Home Day 2023, Ian Copeman, Business Director at Housing LIN, welcomes the introduction of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act that will enable local authorities to ensure that organisations providing supported housing meet the proposed national quality standards for supported housing.

Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act

The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act became law on 29 August 2023. This new legislation sets a framework for new systems for the supported housing and older person’s housing sector.

Specification: Supported Housing Accommodation

Written by Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, this document sets out their expectations and requirements for all types of supported housing developments for different people groups.

The economic and social benefits of housing support

This paper, published by UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, looks at the increasingly important, yet under researched, area of Housing Support that has evolved from a traditional focus on landlord-tenant activity to being a key mechanism that supports wider economic and social benefits (including health and community outcomes for individuals).

Exempt Accommodation Third Report of Session 2022–23

This is a House of Commons Committee report, with recommendations to government. In short, the Committee describe the system of exempt accommodation - that is, accommodation exempt from locally set caps on housing benefit - as "a complete mess".

Starts at Home Day: A Housing LIN perspective

For this year’s Starts at Home Day, Ian Copeman, the Housing LIN’s Business Director, shares his thoughts on the role of supported housing to help people live as independently as possible and what experience the Housing LIN has supporting commissioners and operators of supported housing.

Supported housing for people with long-term care and support needs

This Housing LIN report sets out what is required to ensure there is sustainable development of supported housing for adults with long term care and support needs.

Housing and disabled people: A toolkit for local authorities in England - Tenant Support

This toolkit focuses specifically on support to sustain tenancies. It is principally aimed at leaders and practitioners in housing, health and social care.

Thinking ahead: Housing and related care options in later life

This guide from Carers UK and Care & Repair England is designed for carers to assist them with housing and care options for older people.

Supported housing: Understanding need and supply

This report highlights the growing shortfall in supported housing places, examines the causes, and highlights potential solutions. It estimates that there are 109,556 available places in supported housing...

Commissioning Sustainable Care & Support Services: A call for action

In an opinion piece for Inside Housing last year, Brendan Sarsfield, CEO of Family Mosaic, called for reform of the way care and support services are commissioned. He highlighted that the 'Wacky Races'...

What is the Future of Supported Housing?

In this Housing LIN Viewpoint no 51, the author considers the history of supported housing, where we are now and where we might go in the future. He argues that supported housing has provided an important...

Carers and Housing: Addressing their needs

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, with Department of Health support, launched the first national report on housing issues affecting the UK's six million unpaid family carers on 23rd March 2010 at...

Delivering Social Inclusion - The role housing associations can play in PSA 16

This guide highlights the role housing associations and support providers can play in delivering PSA 16. It looks at some of the opportunities and approaches that housing associations and local authorities...

Putting People Centre Stage

The aim of this Housing LIN Report and the accompanying case studies is to emphasise the real benefits to commissioners and providers of housing with care and support which arise from the genuine engagement...

Unmet Housing related support needs in Wokingham

This Housing LIN case study No26 describes research in Wokingham to determine housing support needs. It describes the options identified to meet the gaps in housing support needs across vulnerable groups...

Housing with support and the efficiency agenda - a toolkit

Published by Tribal Group this toolkit contains advice on achieving efficiency whilst maintaining or improving the quality of housing with support and floating support to people in general housing. The...

Reducing re-offending housing and housing support framework

Published by National Offender Management Service, this framework sets expectations for the work of Regional Offender Managers and regional Reducing Re-offending Partnership Boards' Accommodation Pathways....

Durham Integrated Team - a practical guide

This Housing LIN case study No19 describes the experience in Sedgefield Borough of establishing five integrated teams to for vulnerable adults to provide a single point of access to prevent illness,...

Commissioning Housing Support for health and wellbeing

This report commissioned by the Integrated Care Network explains what housing related support services are and the funding streams and national programmes they sit within. The role of housing related...

Substance users and supported housing - what's the score?

A Housing LIN Report comprising three linked reports which give an overview of the relationship between drug and alcohol service provision and the delivery of housing with support. The reports are designed...