Mencap and Housing LIN release new research to gain a better understanding of Specialised Supported Housing (SHH).

The report released today, ‘Funding supported housing for all: Specialised Supported Housing for people with a learning disability’ (opens new window), seeks to better understand the scale, nature and cost of SSH, draw on examples of good practice and to provide robust evidence to inform the debate around funding for supported housing into the future.

Research results estimate there to be between 22,000 and 33,000 specialised supported housing units, which is two to three times the size of current estimates of the SHH sector. The demand for SHH properties is anticipated to reach 25,500 – 33,500 units by 2021/22.

Jeremy Porteus, director of the Housing LIN had this to comment:

“With the demand for supported housing for people with a learning disability set to increase by over 35% by 2030, if we don’t kick start the housing supply right now, their future accommodation choices remain bleak. We therefore urgently need to create the conditions to boost the provision of supported housing, including wholly privately funded solutions, to give the sector renewed confidence to build the right homes.”

Thank you to Mencap who commissioned and helped produce this report. We hope it provides a much-needed input into the debate surrounding long-term supported housing.