Supported Housing

As Rethink Mental Illness recognises, supported housing is a lifeline for many people with mental health conditions and I am committed to protecting these homes and the people who live in them. I can assure you that the new funding model for supported housing will put the sector on a sustainable and stable footing.
 
I am pleased that concerns raised by the supported housing sector have been listened to and that Ministers have decided that there cannot be a one size fits all solution for this sector.  I welcome that Local Housing Allowance rates will not be applied to tenants in supported housing, nor to the wider social rented sector, meaning that long-term supported housing costs will continue to be covered fully through the welfare system.
 
The need for a distinct model for short-term supported housing has been recognised and as you state in your email, funding for this part of the sector will be provided through locally administered ring-fenced grants, underpinned by a new, comprehensive local planning and oversight regime that will be continuously reviewed and by 2020 English councils will have received access to more than £200 billion in funding. This will provide funding security to the sector, providing local councils with greater control over provision in their areas. 
 
Moreover, the two-year period for which short term accommodation will be provided is not a crude cut off. Rather, under the Government's definition, short-term supported housing may be provided for either two years or until transition to suitable long-term stable accommodation is found, whichever occurs first. 
 
I am confident that the proposed funding for supported housing will enable a more localised approach to providing accommodation for some of the most vulnerable people in this country, including those suffering from mental health conditions.