left unsecured in unsafe homes
Vulnerable people in need of care are living in “abusive” homes because the Government has so far failed to enforce a new law, MPs and charities claim.
The Supported Housing Act was passed in June last year to create standards in this area, after a select committee found that a lack of regulation meant some landlords were making “profits” from “unacceptably poor housing”. .
But there has still been no consultation on how it should work and an advisory panel on this area has not yet been set up. The government blamed the delay in elections, saying it was committed to consultations and panels.
Rhys Matthews, 26, told the BBC it was “the worst place I’ve ever been”.
Councils decide whether someone with a care need, such as a mental or physical health problem, is eligible for supported housing and who can provide it, but otherwise there is almost no regulation.
The council pays rent for people who are vulnerable due to disability or factors such as homelessness, abuse and addiction.
The new law gives the Department of Housing and local councils the power to set standards for supported housing providers for the first time, but no exact start date has been set for a consultation on how the law will work.
A Housing spokesperson said it had “made a clear commitment to consult on further measures early next year”.
Meanwhile, the Supported Housing Advisory Panel, made up of people from the sector who can provide information to the government, has also not been set up.
According to law it was required to be installed in June. The government said it was committed to setting up the panel.
‘Worst place I’ve ever been’
Rhys grew up in foster care and moved into supported housing due to health problems.
He told the BBC that his room had only a bed and a small wardrobe and that he had piled his belongings on the floor.
He said he was evicted with only an hour’s notice after one of the other residents threw a knife at him and spent the next two years on the streets.
“It almost felt like I was the problem, I was the problem and they wanted to get rid of me,” she said. “I didn’t know what my rights were.”
Rice now lives in supported accommodation provided by the charity Emmaus, where he is paid for the work he does.
Charities and other non-profit groups historically provided supported housing, but over the past decade private companies have entered the sector, with charities and lawmakers arguing that many stand to make millions while providing low-quality housing. Have taken advantage of the lack of regulation.
Rhys, like most charities we have spoken to, want the new supported housing law to impose minimum standards – large rooms, safe shared spaces and qualified support staff.
He wants landlords who don’t meet those standards to face criminal penalties in the worst cases. “It needs to be cut,” he said.
‘Unsafe and unregulated’
Jasmine Basran, head of policy and campaigns at homelessness charity Crisis, said: “People who have already experienced significant disadvantage are being forced to live without adequate support in conditions that are unsafe, unhygienic and clearly not livable. Used to be.”
He said there is a promise that the government will provide advice on how to improve supported housing “but we need to see urgent progress on this”.
Charlotte Talbot, chief executive of Emmaus UK, said, “There are too many cases where individuals are let down by dishonest providers, with poor support and accommodation leading to devastating consequences for those who rely on their services”.
The London Assembly described the area as “unsafe and unregulated”.
Meanwhile 2022 BBC investigation revealed Supported housing schemes across the West Midlands were filled with crime, drugs and in one case death,
Yet despite years of concerns, action has been slow, which doesn’t surprise Rhys.
“This is very specific from the government,” he said.
“Unfortunately, with supported housing and homelessness, it always seems to take a back (seat) in any government, Labor or Conservative.”
MP Bob Blackman, who drafted the law, criticized the “snail’s pace” in implementing it and said action was urgently needed as the sector was a “ticking time bomb”.
The Housing Department said, “It was right that decisions on consultation were put on hold during the general election”.
He said panel members “will be appointed in due course” after interviews close this month.
‘pressure cooker’
Even if the legislation is implemented, the National Housing Federation (NHF) said it would not solve the “extreme financial challenges caused by severe cuts in funding coupled with rising inflation and rising operating costs”.
It calculates that more than a third of supported housing providers closed schemes last year and 60% intend to close sites in the future.
At the same time supported housing supply is falling, many charities say demand has increased due to NHS cuts and rising homelessness.
Sophie Boubis, head of policy and research at Homeless Link, said the consultation was needed to set a standard for what good providers look like and to remove uncertainty created by a lack of regulation.
“This is risky territory…it feels like a pressure cooker at the moment.”