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Providers urge government to change short-term supported housing plans
Housing providers have urged the government to change its plans for the funding of short-term supported housing, a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) report has revealed.
In an interim report the MHCLG said it had received 738 responses to its two consultations on its supported housing funding plans.
The government has proposed introducing a ‘sheltered rent’ from April 2020 for sheltered and extra care housing, to keep funding for long-term supported housing in the housing benefit system and to give councils control of short-term supported housing funding through a ringfenced grant from government.
Charities and housing providers have strongly objected to the government’s plan to move short-term supported housing under the control of councils because they are concerned the ringfence will be eroded and funding will be used to prop up other cash-starved council services.
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Women’s Aid said the proposal to include women’s refuges under the council ringfenced fund would create a “postcode lottery” where some councils would prioritise this accommodation.
The government said it would publish a formal response with more details about the policy in the summer.
Respondents to the consultation called for government to provide assurance to maintain the ringfence indefinitely. The report said a “number of providers” had urged government to change its policy for short-term supported housing. They also asked for assurances that the ringfence would remain in place “indefinitely”.
For sheltered and extra care housing respondents said the government should not be “too prescriptive” in any definition of this type of accommodation.
Some respondents also said any restriction on service charges should still allow housing providers to continue to be able to “recover actual costs” and there are several “legitimate reasons” service charges vary. The government is seeking to introduce cost controls on this type of housing.
