Key Takeaways:
- The Supported Housing Act, designed to regulate unscrupulous landlords in England and Wales, has been delayed for over two years, leaving vulnerable individuals at risk of exploitation.
- The delay has resulted in people dying in poor-quality accommodation, with at least 36 reported deaths in 2024 across 10 local authorities.
- Rogue providers are placing vulnerable people in shared homes, exacerbating addiction issues, mental health problems, and creating violence and antisocial behavior.
- The government has launched a consultation on new regulations, but has yet to publish its response, leaving campaigners fearing it could be years before the law becomes a reality.
- Local authorities are calling for urgent action to collect data on exempt accommodation properties and their occupants to better understand the scope of the problem.
Introduction to the Supported Housing Act
The Supported Housing Act, a private member’s bill brought by Conservative MP Bob Blackman, was given royal assent over two years ago, but its implementation has been delayed due to the government’s slow pace in creating regulations. The act aims to tackle the scandal of "exempt" supported accommodation, where unscrupulous landlords are making millions of pounds via housing benefit, providing poor-quality homes for vulnerable people with little or no support. Supported accommodation is typically used to house individuals who have recently been released from prison, people with substance abuse issues, those fleeing domestic violence, or people with mental health problems who require support to live independently.
The Consequences of Delay
The delay in implementing the Supported Housing Act has severe consequences, with people dying in unsafe accommodation and communities being irreversibly damaged. Campaigners, including the head of policy and campaigns at Crisis, Jasmine Basran, have heard "horror stories" about exempt accommodation, including rooms infested with mice and mold, people having to share a washing machine with 70 others, and people facing abuse and intimidation when trying to speak up. The passing of the act was a "huge win," but as the powers were yet to take effect, "people in vulnerable situations were still at risk of exploitation." The main concern with the sector is that rogue providers are placing very vulnerable people in shared homes, which can exacerbate addiction issues and mental health problems, create violence and antisocial behavior, and place strain on emergency services.
The Impact on Local Communities
The delay has also had a significant impact on local communities, particularly in Birmingham, which has about 30,000 exempt accommodation places. Residential areas have become overrun by landlords converting family homes into eight- and nine-bed house-shares to capitalize on the higher rates of housing benefit. This has led to a surge in antisocial behavior, violence, and strain on emergency services. The market in Birmingham is dominated by five large providers, all of which have been deemed as "non-compliant" by the Regulator of Social Housing. A report by administrators overseeing one recently bankrupt provider, Midland Livings CIC, revealed serious incidents, including people associated with the company allegedly using "threatening behavior and intimidation tactics to pressure residents into signing leases with other companies and to vacate premises at short notice, causing considerable distress to vulnerable tenants."
The Need for Urgent Action
Gill Taylor, who leads the Dying Homeless Project at the Museum of Homelessness, emphasized the urgent need to start collecting more data on exempt accommodation properties and their occupants. The project’s latest research revealed 36 deaths in exempt accommodation in 2024 across 10 local authorities, but the true figure could be much higher due to the lack of data collection. Taylor stressed that "people are dying and people are suffering when they’re not dying, and nobody knows about it." The government’s response to the crisis has been inadequate, with a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson stating that the Supported Housing Act is a priority, but implementation will only begin next month. Campaigners are calling for swift action to address the crisis, including the introduction of minimum standards, licensing schemes, and a national expert advisory panel to monitor the sector.
Conclusion and Call to Action
The delay in implementing the Supported Housing Act has had devastating consequences, with vulnerable individuals dying in poor-quality accommodation and communities being irreversibly damaged. The government’s slow pace in creating regulations has allowed rogue providers to continue exploiting vulnerable people, and it is imperative that urgent action is taken to address the crisis. The introduction of minimum standards, licensing schemes, and a national expert advisory panel is crucial to ensuring that supported housing providers prioritize the needs of their residents. Furthermore, local authorities must be empowered to collect data on exempt accommodation properties and their occupants to better understand the scope of the problem. Only through swift and decisive action can the government hope to mitigate the harm caused by the delay and ensure that vulnerable individuals receive the support and protection they deserve.
