Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation 19

Third Report - Exempt Accommodation Published 27 Oct 2022 Paragraph 98 Addressed to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Government, in its written ministerial statement in March and in evidence to us, said it intends to take forward measures that will include new powers for local authorities to better manage their local supported housing market. We recommend that these measures include planning reforms that would assist councils to implement local strategies for exempt accommodation based on an assessment of need.

From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Third Report - Exempt Accommodation (HC 21), paragraph 98, 27 October 2022

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 27 June 2023 (deadline 27 December 2022).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government says it "strongly welcome[s]" the Committee's recommendations and is supporting the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill, which it believes, "subject to Royal Assent", will address many of the issues raised.

  • On national standards and licensing, the government says it will "formally consult" with the sector to develop the licensing scheme and national standards for support "as soon as possible after Royal Assent".
  • On mandatory registration of all providers with the Regulator of Social Housing, it gives its reasons, including the risk of reclassification of the sector as public, and considers the Bill's measures "better placed" to provide oversight.
  • On rent caps, it says it "cannot effectively determine a standardised rent cap at this point", citing the complexity and range of housing models in the sector.
  • On data, it says research on the size, cost and demand of the sector will be published "by the end of 2023".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error