Supported housing problems

#9 —

Justice Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: A second review of the Covid-19 Accommodation Upon Release Scheme was undertaken, and based upon the operational environment, with Government and PHE advice, it was extended for a final time until 31st August which could …

Under Consideration

#17 —

Justice Committee

Recommendation: 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. …

Gov response: • Work is underway with healthcare teams across prisons to ensure that, as part of each site’s discharge/release planning process, patients who do not currently have a registered GP are pre-registered with a GP in …

Under Consideration

#16 —

Justice Committee

Recommendation: Older prisoners can experience greater levels of institutionalisation and be less able to live independently following their release compared to younger cohorts. Many will require additional support to prepare them to re-join society. Release programmes and guidance that are age …

Gov response: • We welcome NHS England’s commitment to develop their care after custody service, RECONNECT, to engage and support more people after custody. The NHS Long Term Plan, published in 2019, made a commitment to fund …

Under Consideration

#26 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government is committed to helping people achieve their ambition for home ownership where this is the right option for them; and the Right to Buy forms an essential part of this commitment. The scheme …

Under Consideration

#25 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government is committed to introducing a new Right to Shared Ownership on rented homes grant funded through the new Affordable Homes Programme. The Right to Shared Ownership is a separate scheme to the Right …

Under Consideration

#24 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government is committed to increasing the supply of all types of homes, including social housing. We recognise the essential contribution from local authorities in the provision of new homes; and we are keen to …

Under Consideration

#23 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: As the Committee has said, tenants who exercise their Right to Buy must repay a portion of their discount to their council if they sell within the first five years. The discount repayment is based …

Under Consideration

#22 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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.

Gov response: Otherwise, the Government believes that tenants who have bought their homes under the Right to Buy should have the same freedoms as other homeowners, including on letting of the property.

Under Consideration

#21 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government wants to support local authorities to build more affordable homes. The consultation on the Use of Receipts from Right to Buy Sales (receipts consultation) invited views on options to change the rules around …

Under Consideration

#20 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Accept. The Government recognises that permitted development rights (PDR) can be a route to provide fast and cost-effective housing. PDRs offer an important contribution to overall housing delivery, but the Government is aware of concerns …

Under Consideration

#19 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: In the Planning for the Future White Paper we are committing to developing a comprehensive resources and skills strategy for the planning sector to support the implementation of our reforms. We will also explore options …

Under Consideration

#18 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Accept. The Government recognises that permitted development rights (PDR) can be a route to provide fast and cost-effective housing. PDRs offer an important contribution to overall housing delivery, but the Government is aware of concerns …

Under Consideration

#17 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Government recognises the important role of Affordable Housing and we are committed to increasing the supply of Affordable Homes across all tenures. We are mindful of the trade-off between the level of ambition for First …

Under Consideration

#16 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The primary purpose of the Affordable Homes Programme is to generate new supply of affordable housing that would not otherwise be built. Acquisitions of existing homes using programme funding are therefore limited. To mitigate the …

Under Consideration

#15 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government recognises the need to increase housing supply across all tenures. The Chancellor announced a £12bn investment in Affordable Housing at the Budget in March 2020, which will provide new homes up to 2025/26. …

Under Consideration

#14 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government recognises the need to increase housing supply across all tenures. The Chancellor announced a £12bn investment in Affordable Housing at the Budget in March 2020, which will provide new homes up to 2025/26. …

Under Consideration

#13 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government recognises the need to increase housing supply across all tenures. The Chancellor announced a £12bn investment in Affordable Housing at the Budget in March 2020, which will provide new homes up to 2025/26. …

Under Consideration

#12 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: We have launched the new Affordable Homes Programme, which overlaps with the current programme, to give providers certainty and the confidence to commit to new developments and maintain the provision of affordable homes. While the …

Under Consideration

#11 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government is committed to introducing a package of reforms to enhance renters’ security and improve protections for short-term tenants. This includes repealing Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to abolish so-called ‘no fault’ …

Under Consideration

#10 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Due to the current COVID 19 pandemic, the courts suspended possession proceedings on 27 March. On 5 June 2020, the suspension of possessions was extended by 2 months until 23 August 2020. On 21 August …

Under Consideration

#2 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government does not a prescribe a definition of affordability, it is a complex and ever-changing picture that is better understood and monitored at a local level. However, we recognise that the fundamental purpose of …

Under Consideration

#16 —

Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Home Office’s recent provision of SIM cards to asylum seekers in larger IA facilities is welcome. However, we are concerned that the denial of provision to individuals who do not have personal phones, or who are currently being asked …

Gov response: We recognise the importance of access to information and the disruption that COVID-19 has brought to normal communication methods for supported asylum seekers. In response, we have ensured that those in Initial Accommodation and hotels …

Under Consideration

#15 —

Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Users of asylum accommodation are often very vulnerable people, including torture survivors, individuals suffering PTSD, pregnant women and mothers with small children. Smart phones, access to the internet and television can be a lifeline to a range of external information …

Gov response: We recognise the importance of access to information and the disruption that COVID-19 has brought to normal communication methods for supported asylum seekers. In response, we have ensured that those in Initial Accommodation and hotels …

Under Consideration

#14 —

Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We are appalled that the Home Office response to the communication support requirements of service users who are not accommodated in hotels or large IA facilities was simply to gather information about where free Wi-Fi might be provided locally—thus encouraging …

Gov response: We recognise the importance of access to information and the disruption that COVID-19 has brought to normal communication methods for supported asylum seekers. In response, we have ensured that those in Initial Accommodation and hotels …

Under Consideration

#13 —

Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the additional support that providers have told us that they are giving to their service users, specifically those who need to self-isolate, during this time. Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (Coronavirus): institutional accommodation 55 Nonetheless we have heard …

Gov response: The Government expects the highest standards from our contractors and accommodation providers are monitored closely to ensure they continue to meet these standards. This includes following appropriate Public Health guidelines to ensure the safety of …

Under Consideration

#12 —

Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government expects the highest standards from our contractors and accommodation providers are monitored closely to ensure they continue to meet these standards. This includes following appropriate Public Health guidelines to ensure the safety of …

Under Consideration

#11 —

Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Accommodation providers must urgently put in place measures to enable greater social distancing and effective hygiene practices. We are appalled at reports that service users have not been universally provided either with laundry facilities, a generous supply of cleaning products, …

Gov response: The Government expects the highest standards from our contractors and accommodation providers are monitored closely to ensure they continue to meet these standards. This includes following appropriate Public Health guidelines to ensure the safety of …

Under Consideration

#10 —

Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Home Office must take appropriate action, including contract variation if necessary, to ensure room sharing across the whole estate is phased out. The Department must also ensure that additional accommodation obtained to meet this requirement is of a high …

Gov response: The Home Office and its accommodation providers take the welfare of service users seriously and agree that accommodation should be provided that is appropriate to individual needs. There are strict criteria set out in the …

Not Accepted

#36 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2021 5.2 The department welcomes and agrees with the Committee’s recommendation on the need for a strategic approach to the complex issue of …

Not Addressed

#35 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2021 5.2 The department welcomes and agrees with the Committee’s recommendation on the need for a strategic approach to the complex issue of …

Not Addressed

#21 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 51.T hrough our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, we deliver affordable homes for both sale and rent, across England. We will increase the share of social rent homes within the programme and will be publishing …

Accepted

#20 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 48. It is important that local areas plan to meet local need for supported housing and that registered social landlords are not overburdened with additional requirements above what is already in place. However, the Government …

Under Consideration

#19 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 48. It is important that local areas plan to meet local need for supported housing and that registered social landlords are not overburdened with additional requirements above what is already in place. However, the Government …

Partially Accepted

#18 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 48. It is important that local areas plan to meet local need for supported housing and that registered social landlords are not overburdened with additional requirements above what is already in place. However, the Government …

Under Consideration

#14 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 35. We have commissioned research to provide an up-to-date assessment of the size, cost, and demand of the supported housing sector across Great Britain. Findings will be published by the end of 2023. The research …

Under Consideration

#12 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 35. We have commissioned research to provide an up-to-date assessment of the size, cost, and demand of the supported housing sector across Great Britain. Findings will be published by the end of 2023. The research …

Under Consideration

#9 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 55. Measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill will improve the oversight of providers of supported housing. Licensing schemes will enable local authorities to better control standards in their area and we have also …

Not Accepted

#2 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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.

Gov response: It is important that local areas plan to meet local need for supported housing and that registered social landlords are not overburdened with additional requirements above what is already in place. However, the Government recognises …

Partially Accepted

#1 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 16. It is indeed egregious that organisations with no expertise can target survivors of domestic abuse. That is why we introduced fully funded duties on local authorities within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 for the …

Under Consideration

#20 — Audio-Visual Expenditure Credits may undermine investment attraction for wider industry practices.

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: We are not convinced that Audio-Visual Expenditure Credits are the best vehicle to incentivise wider industry practices, if doing so undermines the fundamental aim of attracting investment. (Conclusion, Paragraph 76)

Gov response: The government has shown its commitment to keeping the UK’s Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) competitive by providing additional support for independent films at a rate of 53% and introducing a 5% uplift in relief for …

Not Addressed

#32 — Common SPS area benefits countered by increased costs and delays for Rest of World imports.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: A common UK-EU SPS area is expected to reduce administrative burdens, costs, and resource pressures at the Short Straits. However, adopting EU-style “third country” controls on Rest of World imports risks increasing checks, costs, and delays, particularly in sectors reliant …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. The announcement on 9 March that the government intends to implement the new GB-EU SPS Agreement from mid-2027 aims to give industry sufficient time to prepare for the proposed …

No Published Response

#15 — New regulatory compliance costs risk limiting investment in new social homes

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: 27. In order to deliver a ‘Decade of Renewal for social and affordable housing’, we are focused on delivering transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of homes, alongside the biggest increase in …

No Published Response

#24 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: In response to this report, we request an update on the options the Government is considering to increase the supply of good-quality supported housing, as part of the Chief Secretary of the Treasury’s review. (Recommendation, Paragraph 75) Managing and improving …

Gov response: The government is considering supported housing as part of the Thematic Value for Money Review on homelessness spend that is being led by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Cross-government work on the review has …

Response Pending

#5 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: We agree with the Public Accounts Committee that the Government missed a crucial opportunity to alleviate the housing crisis through its disposal of public land. While we understand the constraints around managing public money, it is nonetheless short-sighted to sell …

Gov response: To help make home ownership affordable for more people, and to help more people be able to rent their own home, we need to deliver more homes. We are seeing encouraging progress in producing more …

Under Consideration

#34 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: In our 2019 review of the Ministry’s progress in transforming rehabilitation, we concluded that the Ministry would not make sustained progress with reducing reoffending until it could provide the support offenders desperately needed on leaving prison, including securing stable accommodation. …

Gov response: 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2021 5.2 The department welcomes and agrees with the Committee’s recommendation on the need for a strategic approach to the complex issue of …

Not Addressed

#24 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The lease-based model has its place in exempt accommodation, by enabling access to properties for decent providers who would otherwise not be able to purchase properties outright. However, it can be exploited by those whose primary objective is to make …

Gov response: 61.T he Government is clear that it is utterly unacceptable that a small minority of unscrupulous supported housing landlords are exploiting some of the most vulnerable people in our society. The regulator has taken action …

Accepted

#23 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: We also recommend that action be taken to address this complex landscape, by making it compulsory for all providers to be registered. A mechanism is required to ensure that there is better quality provision and that standards are maintained. Good …

Gov response: 55. Measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill will improve the oversight of providers of supported housing. Licensing schemes will enable local authorities to better control standards in their area and we have also …

Partially Accepted

#22 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The multitude of models of exempt accommodation produces a complex landscape with no guarantee of quality. We have heard concerns about the quality of non- commissioned exempt accommodation, but have also been provided with good examples of specialist non-commissioned providers. …

Gov response: 55. Measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill will improve the oversight of providers of supported housing. Licensing schemes will enable local authorities to better control standards in their area and we have also …

Partially Accepted

#15 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The Government should conduct a review of exempt housing benefit claims to determine how much is being spent and on what. Rent should be capped at a reasonable level that meets the higher costs of managing exempt accommodation. Funding for …

Gov response: 38. As explained in the previous recommendation, the Housing Benefit data held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is incomplete for exempt accommodation. We recognise that we need to address this, and work …

Not Accepted

#13 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: Within twelve months of publication of this report, the Government must organise the collection, collation and publication of annual statistics at a local authority level on the following: • The number of exempt accommodation claimants; • The number of exempt …

Gov response: 35. We have commissioned research to provide an up-to-date assessment of the size, cost, and demand of the supported housing sector across Great Britain. Findings will be published by the end of 2023. The research …

Under Consideration