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Demand for specialised supported housing forecast to increase by 36%
Specialised supported housing for people with learning disabilities is predicted to increase by 36% as the population grows and more people are moved out of hospital settings, a Mencap report has found.
The learning disability charity’s research found that demand for specialised supported housing is forecast to increase from 38,500 units in 2015 to 59,800 in 2030, partly because of a government target to move people with learning disabilities from hospital into the community.
Mencap is calling for the government to guarantee that the move from housing benefit to Universal Credit will continue to fully meet the housing costs of specialised supported housing.
The report, carried out in partnership with consultancy Housing LIN, argued that this type of supported housing is a cost-effective way of providing housing to those with complex needs. It found people living in supported housing need on average £1,569 from state benefits compared to the £1,760 required for those in residential care and £3,500 needed for hospital inpatients.
The report said despite rents for specialist supported housing being higher than other types of supported housing it is cheaper overall as it attracts “very limited” public funding.
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The government has proposed splitting supported housing into three different funding models - long-term supported housing, short-term supported housing and a ‘sheltered rent’. The consultation closed last month and the government is due to report its final decision in the summer.
Beatrice Barleon, policy manager at Mencap, said: “The specialised supported housing sector has a crucial role to play in the government’s Transforming Care programme, giving people with a learning disability the opportunity to live in their community and with choice over where they call home. Until now we only had a limited understanding of the size of the sector, and this research shows what a cost-effective option it offers.”
She added: “The government must now ensure that specialised supported housing is seen for what it is – a vital and cost-effective route to accessing a home in the community.”
