Supported Housing Task and Finish Group Main Report

1. Introduction

1.1 About this report

The transition to Rapid Rehousing and Housing First became central to homelessness policy in Scotland in 2018. A focus on faster access to mainstream housing options drove the need for a closer review of the role of supported forms of shared accommodation.

This report presents the position and recommendations from the Supported Housing Task and Finish Group (membership at appendix i), who were appointed by the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group (HPSG) to undertake this review.

It is the final of four HPSG task and finish groups to report, following the temporary accommodation group in March 2023 [ref 1], the prevention group in August 2023 [ref 2] and the measuring impact group in December 2023 [ref 3]. As the last in the sequence, we provide a summary of common themes observed across all reports at section 7.4.

1.2 The group’s task and starting point

The HPSG asked that the group review the ‘Shared Spaces’ research and policy position published in October 2021 [ref 4] and make recommendations on the future role of supported housing and in the context of three key policy developments: rapid rehousing [ref 5], duties to prevent homelessness [ref 6] and Housing to 2040 [ref 7]. The accompanying Shared Spaces policy paper envisaged a transformation programme toward supported housing as a settled housing option for a small number of people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, and who don’t want and/or can’t sustain a mainstream tenancy, including with Housing First support.

The overarching focus of these policies, and their intersection with health and social care policy, is to support people to live independently at home or in a “homely setting” [ref 8] in their community. This focus spans the majority of households who move house with no need for support, those who benefit from some housing support, and those who need a range of health and social care supports.

This policy suite commits to the evidence-based Housing First approach [ref 9] for the group of people who are homeless while facing a range of other health, social and economic disadvantages. Housing First was progressed with the acknowledgement that shared and supported housing needed further analysis to align it more confidently with the range of housing options and to maximise people’s choice and control. We have also learned more about the circumstances where Housing First does not work since it started branching out across most local authority areas in Scotland from 2019.

HPSG also asked for the group’s considerations of the health and social care sector in an envisaged role as joint planners and commissioners of supported housing, including the best way to ensure that supported housing can be a settled rather than a temporary housing option for the group of people who want or need it.

This report seeks to insert the missing piece of the jigsaw to give a fuller picture of Scotland’s housing policy and where it intersects with health and social care policy.

1.3 The group’s method

Three main approaches were taken:

i. The group met seven times over fourteen months between November 2022 and January 2024. Membership comprised policy makers, housing and support providers including supported housing, service commissioners and knowledge-based organisations. This range of professional and lived experience helped achieve a rounded perspective and evidence-based approach.

ii. A survey of local authorities was undertaken to achieve shared understanding of the current role of supported housing locally and to help us make recommendations about the way forward. The group was briefed on the scale of supported housing commissioned by homelessness budgets, about who owns the buildings, who provides the on-site support, the scope of what is provided and what it costs. 28 of 32 local authorities responded, 19 of whom confirmed they commissioned supported housing. This data is discussed at section 5.3.

iii. Detailed presentations were invited from expert contributors on themes that spanned different types of specialist supported and shared accommodation, local methods for assessing housing support needs, and the role of and potential gaps in housing support. This process was intended to help the group draw out specialist service components being delivered, or identified as a gap, to assist deliberations on supported housing as a housing option. Expert contributors to the group are as follows and summarised later in this report or at appendix ii:

• Recovery housing | Sanctuary Housing Association
• Managed alcohol programme | Simon Community Scotland
• Working communities | Emmaus UK
• Secure and supported housing | Rowan Alba
• Economic benefits of housing support | Housing Support Enabling Unit
• Housing support needs assessment | West Dunbartonshire Council