Supported housing problems
Risks of unintended consequences from new supported housing licensing schemes, potentially discouraging good providers.
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
74match
#16 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
To ensure the programme can get off to swift start, we recommend the Government allows grant funding to be used flexibly to allow providers to purchase new build homes or homes close to completion from developers which may go unsold in a recession. We suggest the Government looks at the National Clearing House Scheme from 2008—which served a...
Matched on
terms: housing
PFD report
73match
Lance Walker
The lack of regulation for residential homes housing vulnerable 18-21 year olds leads to providers with inadequate training and staffing. Additionally, there is no standard referral form, risking missed vital information for supported housing placements.
Matched on
terms: housing, supported
Committee recommendation
73match
#12 - Third Report - Exempt Accommodation
The dearth of data on exempt accommodation shows how successive Governments have been caught sleeping. The Government does not know how much exempt accommodation there is or how many people live in exempt accommodation. The Government claims that poor providers are a minority but has no data to back this up. The Government does not know how many...
Matched on
terms: housing, problem
PFD report
69match
Jonathan Hamer
Gaps in community mental health care due to staff absences and issues with supported housing transitions contributed to a patient's deteriorating condition and subsequent death by suicide.
Matched on
terms: housing, supported
Committee recommendation
69match
#19 - Third Report - Exempt Accommodation
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...
Matched on
terms: housing, supported
GIRFT recommendation
69match
Mental Health Rehabilitation
6. All trusts should work with their local partners to proactively improve provision of different levels of supported housing in their area, aligned to the local level of need, using a flexible model. a Urgently improve the availability and provision of specialist supported housing in each area, proportionate to the local need. b LAs, health commissioners and provider...
Matched on
terms: housing, supported
Committee recommendation
66match
#26 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
The Government must keep a careful watch on the rate of replacements. If, despite these reforms, replacements are still below a one-for-one rate, the Government must intervene further. The Government should fully disaggregate its quarterly Right to Buy data by tenure for sales and replacements, and publish a full review of the Right to Buy scheme by the...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
66match
#21 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
Local authorities should receive 100 per cent of Right to Buy receipts. The time limit for using these receipts to fund a replacement should be extended to five years, rather than three. Councils should also be allowed to combine receipts with other pots, like grant funding, to maximise flexibility. Receipts must be used to fund like-for-like tenure replacements:...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
66match
#19 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
It is right that the Government has identified the importance of reforming planning fees to support the capacity and skills of planning departments. It is imperative that local planning authorities have the right resources to deliver the social housing this country needs, and to ensure private developers deliver sufficient social housing on new developments. We recommend that the...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
66match
#17 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
We are concerned the Government is letting history repeat itself, rather than learning its lessons from Starter Homes consultation. The Government has not conducted an analysis of the impact of implementing First Homes on the delivery of social housing through section 106 agreements. The Government has not conducted an analysis of the impact of implementing First Homes on...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
65match
#2 - Third Report - Exempt Accommodation
Since areas with high concentrations of exempt accommodation can attract anti- social behaviour, crime, rubbish, and vermin, neighbours and communities are affected negatively as well as residents. These impacts risk undermining local support for supported housing.
Matched on
terms: housing, supported
Committee recommendation
62match
#21 - 4th Report - Housing Conditions in the Private Rented Sector
Most landlords recognise their responsibility to provide tenants with a safe, decent and comfortable home. The government nationally and locally has a role to reduce unintentional non-compliance by educating landlords about their legal responsibilities and supporting them to adopt more professional practices. Nationally, the forthcoming Private Rented Sector Database has the potential to be a useful tool to...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#11 - 4th Report - Housing Conditions in the Private Rented Sector
We recommend that the government should begin rolling out Awaab’s Law in the private rented sector this year to ensure that these legal protections are fully in place across the private rented sector by the end of 2028/29. (Recommendation, Paragraph 62) Empowering tenants
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#10 - 4th Report - Housing Conditions in the Private Rented Sector
We welcome the government’s decision to apply Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector. While landlords are already required to keep their homes free from serious hazards, Awaab’s Law will strengthen this protection 81 by establishing clear timeframes landlords need to meet to make their homes safe. We are disappointed, however, that the government has not yet committed...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#2 - 4th Report - Housing Conditions in the Private Rented Sector
We urge the government to publish the long-awaited long-term housing strategy by the end of September 2026. We will be assessing whether the strategy addresses the drivers that contribute to poor housing across the country, including in the private rented sector. (Recommendation, Paragraph 28) Raising standards
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#1 - 4th Report - Housing Conditions in the Private Rented Sector
We welcome the government’s plans to raise the standard of homes in the privately rented sector over the next decade. While most renters are satisfied with their homes, a substantial minority of private renters are living in homes that are sub-standard. Poor conditions in the private rented sector are symptomatic of the country’s wider housing crisis, especially the...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#25 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
We caution the Government not to make Shared Ownership Right to Buy a condition of affordable housing grant funding, until our suggested reforms on receipts are implemented. When Right to Buy is implemented for all housing associations, like with the pilots, the Treasury should reimburse housing associations for the cost of discounts. This aligns with the recommendation we...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#24 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
If the Government’s intention is that the Right to Buy should both give people an opportunity to own their homes, but also to provide resources which will then be reinvested into social housing to ensure one-to-one replacements, then consideration must be given to local authorities who are unable to deliver sufficient replacements 56 Building more social housing because...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#23 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
We recommend that, in line with the five year period which covers discount repayment, the Government prevents Right to Buy homes being privately let within five years of purchase. This will require legislating to implement a covenant against letting for a five year period. This is not without precedent: Help to Buy properties include a covenant which prevents...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#22 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
The purpose of Right to Buy is to introduce a route into homeownership, and not reduce the number of social homes or to supplement the private rented sector.
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#20 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
We are mindful that the Government expects to implement substantial changes to the planning system in the near future. We will continue to monitor the impact of these changes on social housing supply, as well as scrutinising the reforms more generally. (Paragraph 110) Right to Buy
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#18 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
Permitted development rights can be a route to provide fast and cost-effective housing, but given that the Government is aware of concerns around their use, it should publish its review as soon as possible. We remain concerned about the lack of affordable housing obligations and lack of safeguards for quality. Without reforms, it is likely the planned expansion...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#15 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
We estimate that land value reform could reduce the cost of the programme by up to 40 per cent. By building more social housing on Government-owned public land, the overall cost of the programme could be further reduced. Some of the money could also be redistributed from existing budgets within the Department, and the rest could be borrowed...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#14 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
The sector estimates that £12.8 billion a year in grant funding will be needed to deliver 90,000 social rent homes every year, alongside continued support for affordable rent and shared ownership. Central government grant funding is necessary because the current funding model is not delivering the numbers required to meet demand. The removal of the borrowing cap for...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#13 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
It is time for the Government to invest so the country can build 90,000 social rent homes a year. We appreciate that even with the funding we set out below, any programme will take time to scale up, but we expect the Government should be able to increase delivery to 90,000 within five years.
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#12 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
The Government should count investment in social housing as infrastructure spending, rather than day-to-day spending. Evidence shows that spending on a long-term social housebuilding programme pays back to the Exchequer over time. Furthermore, such a programme could be counter-cyclical, both protecting and creating jobs during a wider housing downturn caused by COVID-19 economic uncertainty.
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#11 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
It will take time to meet social housing need. In the short-term, we support the Government’s intention to improve the experience of tenants in the private rented sector, including on security of tenure, quality of housing, and affordability. We encourage the Government to bring forward legislative proposals as soon as possible. While councils need to be better at...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#10 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
A social housebuilding programme should be top of the Government’s agenda to rebuild the country from the impact of COVID-19. The crisis has exposed our broken housing system. Families in overcrowded homes have faced worse health outcomes. Private renters have struggled to meet housing costs. A large social housebuilding programme will provide jobs, boost the economy, and help...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
62match
#2 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing
We believe rents are only affordable when they do not exceed one third of household income. There are numerous ways to define this income and other related factors and the Government should identify its preferred method, in consultation with the Local Government Association, the National Housing Federation, Shelter, and other key players in the sector. It is crucial...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
61match
#36 - Fifteenth Report - Improving the prison estate
In April 2020, the Chief Inspector of Prisons similarly found that, within local prisons, resettlement assessments and planning for release had been limited as a result of COVID-19. It found that good efforts had been made to address accommodation needs at several prisons and few prisoners were released homeless. However, it was clear that for many prisoners the...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
61match
#20 - Third Report - Exempt Accommodation
Specifically, we recommend that the Government end the existing exemptions that registered providers have from HMO licensing and the Article 4 direction. Furthermore, we recommend that the loophole relating to non-registered providers with properties containing six or fewer residents also be addressed so that they are brought within the planning regime. This action would prevent there being a...
Matched on
terms: housing
LGO / SPSO decision
60match
22-002-448 - Kingston Upon Hull City Council
Summary: The Council was at fault for failing to deal with Mr X’s complaints of noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour in his supported accommodation. It was also at fault for failing to respond to his complaint at stage two of its process. The Council was not at fault in how it dealt with issues of disrepair and the...
Matched on
terms: housing, supported
LGO / SPSO decision
60match
20-012-815 - West Sussex County Council
Summary: Mr B complained his supported housing provider did not repay him any money for the time he was not living in his flat between March and June 2020. There was no fault by the Council.
Matched on
terms: housing, supported
PFD report
57match
Ian Leak
The communal fire alarm system at Honiton Oaks failed to trigger audible alerts within individual flats, raising serious safety concerns for residents, particularly those with mobility problems under a "Stay Put" policy.
Matched on
terms: problem
Committee recommendation
57match
#18 - 4th Report - Housing Conditions in the Private Rented Sector
The government is taking positive steps through the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 to empower tenants. While we support the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, we are concerned too much onus remains on individuals to take action against their landlord, either through to courts or soon by approaching the ombudsman for redress. This approach risks neglecting the most vulnerable tenants,...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
57match
#9 - 3rd Report: Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on probation services
Accommodation is an important resettlement need for prison leavers, and we welcome the work that the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS have done during the pandemic to ensure that prison leavers have the best access to accommodation as possible. We are also pleased to hear that scheme to support individuals leaving prison has been extended to the 31...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
57match
#12 - Fourth Report: Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (Coronavirus): institutional accommodation
All Home Office contracted housing providers must ensure that any vulnerable adults are accommodated appropriately. Where the Home Office has explicitly authorised an individual to have a single room, this must be implemented without question or delay. To ensure that this is enforced in practice, the Home Office must write to us within 4 weeks of receiving this...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
57match
#35 - Fifteenth Report - Improving the prison estate
The way offenders were treated on their release from prison has a significant impact on how they re-integrate into society.80 We received written evidence from Middlesex University, which told us that poor or inadequate resettlement pathways had resulted in lack of adequate housing options for prisoners on their release.81 On 4th April 2020, the Government announced that up...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
57match
#9 - Third Report - Exempt Accommodation
The patchwork regulation of exempt accommodation has too many holes. We recognise that the exempt accommodation sector is complex with different types of providers, therefore requiring the involvement of multiple regulators. But some providers do not fall under the remit of any regulator, and no regulator has complete oversight of the different elements of exempt accommodation. Later in...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
57match
#15 - New regulatory compliance costs risk limiting investment in new social homes
While we welcome the steps the Government has taken to rebuild the sector’s financial capacity, a lot of the extra rental income social landlords receive could be absorbed by the new compliance costs placed on them, thereby limiting their ability to invest in new social homes. Even with the Government’s investment in social homes and the changes to...
Matched on
terms: housing
LGO / SPSO decision
56match
201203475 - Dundee City Council
Mrs C moved back to the council's area to care for family. She accepted the councils offer of an upper villa flat which had an intercom service to wardens in a nearby sheltered housing complex, although she was fit and active and had no need of the service. The council upgraded the intercom service at the start of...
Matched on
terms: housing, problem
LGO / SPSO decision
56match
PSOW-202308943 - Hafod Housing Association
Ms V complained that Hafod Housing Association had failed to resolve the various maintenance issues in her property and had not responded to the complaint she made to it in October 2023. The Ombudsman found that there had been a delay by the Association to rectify the problems in the property and respond to Ms V’s complaint. She...
Matched on
terms: housing, problem
Committee recommendation
53match
#17 - 5th Report - Ageing prison population
There is a shortage of suitable accommodation for older prisoners following their release, which can undermine their rehabilitation and prevent them from successfully re-integrating into society. We are particularly concerned about reports of older individuals being released to no-fixed abode. With the older prison population likely to rise further, and the number of prison places set to increase,...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
53match
#21 - Third Report - Exempt Accommodation
Demand for exempt accommodation is driven in part by a shortage of affordable homes. To solve the issues found in exempt accommodation the Government must solve the wider housing crisis. We reiterate the recommendations from our 2020 report, “Building more social housing”—in particular, our call on the Government to build 90,000 social rent homes a year. (Paragraph 100)...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
53match
#18 - Third Report - Exempt Accommodation
The former Minister was reluctant to consider changes to the planning system, arguing that some councils are having successes with the planning tools available Exempt Accommodation 49 to them, and that raising the overall quality will reduce the negative impacts on communities and in turn reduce the need to control the spread of exempt accommodation. However, our evidence...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
53match
#14 - Third Report - Exempt Accommodation
The Government has no idea how much taxpayer money is spent on exempt accommodation, nor what this money is spent on. It cannot know whether the current system is delivering value for money. Millions of pounds are being poured into exempt housing benefit with no guarantee that vulnerable residents will get the support they need. In some cases,...
Matched on
terms: housing
Committee recommendation
53match
#1 - Third Report - Exempt Accommodation
An unknown but significant number of residents’ experiences of exempt accommodation are beyond disgraceful. Taxpayers’ money is being spent on uncapped housing benefit on the understanding that residents, who are usually vulnerable, receive some care, support, or supervision—yet it is clear that some people’s situations actually deteriorate as a result of the shocking conditions in which they live....
Matched on
terms: housing
PFD report
49match
Brian Goodman
A known ligature point in the patient's room was not addressed, and similar hazardous door closing mechanisms remain in use in other properties, despite a history of suicide attempts by hanging.
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
48match
#16 - 1st Report - Black people’s experiences of homelessness
Domestic abuse is a key driver of homelessness. The housing workforce must have the training and capacity required to deal with cases effectively and compassionately. The government has increased the funding available to support victims into safe accommodation but it falls far short of what is needed. We are concerned that the significant funding shortfall is putting 50...
Matched on
terms: housing
IMB recommendation
48match
Ashfield (2020)
Can the lack of availability of appropriate accommodation for men convicted of sexual offences be raised with the minister for housing, communities and local government?
Matched on
terms: housing