Supported Housing: Mental Illness

(asked on 2nd November 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the funding supported housing consultation published on 31 October 2017, what funding settlement will be in place for mental health supported housing schemes which fall into neither short-term nor long-term categories and combine individuals with a variety of different lengths of stay.


Answered by
Marcus Jones Portrait
Marcus Jones
Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
This question was answered on 9th November 2017

Everyone who is eligible to have their housing costs met under the current system, will continue to have their housing costs met through the models announced on 31 October, whether they are staying in short-term accommodation, long term accommodation or in transition between the two.

We will continue to fund long-term supported accommodation through the welfare system, with 100 per cent of housing costs (rent and eligible service charges) normally being met (unless, exceptionally, other benefit restrictions may apply to the individual involved). This funding will be uncapped by Local Housing Allowance rates as these will no longer apply. For short-term accommodation all funding for rent and eligible service charges previously met from Housing Benefit will instead be allocated to local authorities through ring-fenced grants, to fund the commissioning of provision at a local level.

This will fund housing costs for provision rather than specific individuals. An individual’s entitlement for help with housing costs whilst staying in accommodation funded under each of our supported housing models, including the short-term model, will be exactly as it would have been through Housing Benefit or the housing cost element of Universal Credit.

Through our consultation, and otherwise, we will continue to engage with the sector and stakeholders to seek views on key system design elements of the reformed funding model to ensure it is responsive and will work for providers, tenants and clients, across such a diverse sector, including provision for those with mental ill health.

Reticulating Splines