Supported housing - update on oversight

Oversight of supported housing

• The Federation hosted a number of events on supported housing, where we discussed the summer announcement on the funding model for housing costs and plans for increased transparency and oversight in the future.
• While the Government have confirmed that housing costs for supported housing will be retained in the benefit system, they are committed to ensuring there is proper oversight of this spending, focusing on both the quality of the accommodation and value for money.
• We're working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to ensure that any changes proposed work for both our members and their tenants. All of our consultation events have been well attended by government officials who have been listening to the concerns and ideas raised by our members and we have been urging them to focus on the gaps and areas of concern in the current system.
• We are still waiting for the Government to provide more information on the likely direction this work will take, but we will continue our discussions with them on this vital issue. We will update members as soon as we hear further announcements.

Review of housing-related support

• MHCLG are starting to work on a review of housing-related support, the research for this has already been commissioned.
• Throughout our events, and indeed over the course of the last few years, MHCLG received feedback on impact of cuts to funding and the ongoing importance of secure housing-related support funding. We know from our conversations with you that this is a critical issue, not just for current services but also in building new schemes.
• We will continue to contribute our views and concerns to the Government, including in our Comprehensive Spending Review submission this year. We also know that part of the research will be to look at the consequences of changes to support funding on the ground so we’d urge all of our members to take up any opportunity to participate in this important work.
• We will be in touch with members when we have more information about the review and how you can be involved.

Review of hostels

• Alongside a wider review into housing-related support, MHCLG are commissioning an early insights study into hostels and shelters which will help inform a wider review into hostels. The early insights study will collate information about the data that hostels gather.
• They will use this to inform their decision making and establish the key evidence gaps. The wider review will look to explore the quality, capacity and outcomes of hostels. MHCLG will be engaging stakeholders in the coming months.
• We are aware many of our members are well placed to respond to this review, and will start to look at ways the sector can feed into this.

We will keep members updated as we hear more from the Government in the coming months.