Supported Housing Task and Finish Group Summary Report
This sub-group of the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group was set up to consider the future role of supported housing for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This is a summary of the main report.
3. Learning by doing
3.1 Since devolution, Scotland has increased rights to housing and support and moved away from large scale hostel accommodation. Many smaller scale supported housing projects emerged, while more recently Housing First has started to scale up for people affected by multiple forms of disadvantage and adversity.
3.2 As Housing First branches out, more has been learnt about the circumstances where it does not work (less than 10% of tenancies), or where people do not want a mainstream housing option at this point in their lives.
3.3 Small scale supported housing is intended to provide a specialist housing and support service equipped to meet specific equalities and/or health and social care considerations. However, due to wider housing pressures people are staying longer than they need it, or a temporary placement to supported housing is made when a mainstream housing option would be more appropriate for the person.
3.4 Further, the complexity of the funding arrangements, the variable quality of buildings used, the different approaches to support, and the use of shared-unit temporary accommodation (commonly called rapid access or emergency accommodation) have cluttered the landscape and blurred the edges between suitable and unsuitable temporary accommodation and shared and supported accommodation.
3.5 The evidence that informed the work of the group concluded that most people do not want to share a bedroom, bathroom or kitchen. But that some people do want on-site support, defined by self-contained homes with own bathrooms and cooking facilities, with an element of common or office space either on-site or nearby. It is the option, rather than requirement, to tap into any shared areas that is key here.