Government consults on powers for local authorities to regulate supported housing providers
The Government has launched a consultation on a licensing scheme for supported housing as well as a new duty on local authorities to produce 'supported housing strategies', as part of a crackdown on “rogue” providers.
Provisions for these changes are contained in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act, which set the groundwork for the new licensing regime alongside the power to set national supported housing standards for England.
The Act, which secured Royal Assent in June 2023, also places a duty on local housing authorities to produce supported housing strategies to understand current availability and future need for supported housing.
The consultation seeks views on how government implements the measures, and will inform the drafting of regulations and accompanying guidance.
It also includes questions on defining care, support and supervision in Housing Benefit regulations for Great Britain.
A ministerial foreword to the consultation from Rushanara Ali, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Sir Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Social Security at the Department for Work and Pensions, said a "lack of effective regulation over the years has allowed unscrupulous and exploitative actors to enter the market".
The ministers added: "These abuses have been allowed to go on for far too long, and the government is taking decisive action to end them - using the measures contained in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 to drive out rogue providers, improve standards for vulnerable people and deliver better value for taxpayers."
Ali and Timms continued: "Residents living in supported housing deserve good quality support and accommodation, wherever in the country they are living – and their interests are central to these changes.
"But we know we must get the balance right – providing effective tools for local authorities to protect residents, while ensuring burdens don’t become too arduous for the many good providers in the market.
"That is why it is vital we gather the views of those who know this sector best – providers, local authorities, regulators, tenant and provider organisations, and crucially, supported housing residents themselves."
The consultation is split into two parts, the first of which asks for views on national supported housing standards, supported housing licensing and a new planning use class for supported housing.
Part two seeks views on a definition of care, support and supervision in Housing Benefit regulations including how this could be linked to respective regulatory frameworks for England, Scotland, and Wales.
It also asks for comments on a proposal to link Housing Benefit with standards and licensing in England and opportunities to link to other frameworks in Scotland and Wales.
The consultation is set to close to responses on 15 May.
Adam Carey
