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Homes and Environments and Mental Health

The resources on this page cover:

Housing options for working age adults with mental health problems and the support that can enable someone to live independently
Issues for commissioners and providers when planning housing and support
Considerations when designing homes for mental wellbeing
Information for people working or supporting adults with a mental health problem.

The design of neighbourhood open spaces to improve mental health

Published in Cities and Health, this study aims to identify restorative spatial characteristics and their applicability in neighbourhood open space design to improve citizens’ mental health, and critically reflects upon the current literature with the aim of guiding future research and design practice.

Housing and Mental Wellbeing: Learning Summit Report

This report from the Care Provider Alliance and NHS England ICS Learning Summit sets out the benefits of involving housing partners within Integrated Care Systems plans and outlines examples of effective partnership working across the country. It captures the key points from a Summit held in early February 2024. The Housing LIN’s Jeremy Porteus was a member of the panel.

The long journey home: understanding and improving the supported housing system for people living with mental illness

This report from Rethink Mental Illness gets to grips with the challenges and barriers that people with severe mental illness face as they navigate supported housing services, as well as their causes.

Away from hospital and into the community: A research report into alternative options for young people’s mental health crisis care

Funded by Wates Family Enterprise Trust, this Look Ahead report finds increasing demand for children and young people’s crisis mental health services amidst challenges with existing services.

Healthy foundations: Integrating housing as part of the mental health pathway

This report, published by the Mental Health Network NHS Confederation, explores the steps needed to achieve a more integrated and strategic approach between health, housing and social care. It was commissioned by the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network, delivered and written by HACT and supported by our event partner, Home Group.

How to encourage Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) in support services

Nathan Rhodes at Look Ahead, offers his insights into Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) and how this type of service recognises and addresses the emotional and psychological needs of both service user and staff.

The financial case for integrated mental health services and supported housing pathways

This report, commissioned by housing and support services provider Look Ahead , outlines that if integrated mental health and supported housing systems currently used in parts of London and the South East were implemented across the rest of the country, approximately £950 million could be saved to the NHS.

Breathing Space: An independent evaluation of Orbit’s mental health programme

A independent evaluation of Orbits mental health service to provide an assessment of how it has been delivered in practice, its performance during the reporting period, and learning that can be applied to future tendering and service design to optimise impact.

COVID-19 lockdown: Unlocking mental health services for homeless people

Julie, a NHS mental health nurse, gives a personal insight into the newly formed Homeless Mental Health Team (HMHT) at the Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. She describes how during Covid-19, she has been working with partners to provide short term accommodation, termed Safe Spaces, to homeless people.

Mental wellbeing: the importance of home

In the context of Mental Health Awareness week, the Housing LIN’s Ian Copeman shares some of the learning from our work improving the housing choices of people with mental health needs.

Mental Health at Work: Commitment guide for the housing sector

This CIH guide, developed with charity Mind, sets out six commitments to make everyone who works in housing more aware and supportive of other people’s mental health issues.

Stimulation and restoration

This second paper by Ryder Architecture focuses on stimulation and restoration in urban environments and how these theories can help create places which support mental wellbeing.

Introduction to urban environments and mental health

This paper is the first in a series by Ryder Architecture which explores how we can design for improved mental health in our neighbourhoods, towns and cities

Where the heart is

A report and best practice checklist provided by the Money and Mental Healthy Policy that calls on government to make specific changes to the benefit system that would support people with mental health problems to stay in their homes.

Tabard Forensic Service: An independent report of an integrated model of community forensic mental health provision

This report from HACT suggests a new approach to community forensic mental health provision could result in savings and better resident outcomes.

London’s Mental Health Discharge Top Tips

This practical tool from the London Urgent and Emergency Care Improvement Collaborative identifies top tips that support timely transfer of care and reduce delays in mental health hospital discharges pan London.

Mental Health Supported Housing: Securing financial stability, supply and quality

The October 2017 report from Rethink Mental Illness, looks specifically at housing for people living with mental illness and how this is funded following research showing that Government plans to cap benefits for those in supported housing will leave many struggling to afford it.

Working with Statutory Mental Health Services: A guide for housing and homelessness staff

This Enabling Assessment Service London (EASL) document is for staff working in homelessness and housing services who work with people with mental health problems.

Housing Associations and Mental Health support to tenants in Wales: Overview of Current Practice

This Community Housing Cymru report highlights examples of recent practice among housing associations in Wales, which benefits the mental health of members of the communities in which they work.

The impact of housing problems on mental health

Shelter in partnership with the research agency, ComRes, explored the relationship between housing and mental health through a two-stage research project in early 2017.

More than shelter: Supported accommodation and mental health

Published by the Centre for Mental Health, this report reviews evidence about supported housing services for people with mental health problems in England. It finds that there is very limited evidence...

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health

An independent Mental Health Task Force sets out an ambition to improve the care and support available from the NHS for people experiencing a mental health crisis. It recognises that housing is critical...

Housing and mental health: providing support for people in need

This report by the Mental Health Foundation identifies which types of supported accommodation successfully meet the needs of people with mental health problems and draws on the expertise of people living...

Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat: Improving outcomes for people experiencing mental health crisis

In February 2014, a number of national organisations involved in health, policing, social care, housing, local government and the third sector came together and signed the Crisis Care Concordat . ...

Housing Models: Examples of Innovative Practice and Design

The report by the Mental Health Providers Forum provides a narrative on 15 examples of housing models that have been developed to offer housing options to people with mental health issues.

Housing and Mental Health

This user-friendly booklet from Mind is for anyone living with a mental health problem who wants information about housing options. Set out in two section, it provides explains why housing matters and...

No Assumptions: A Narrative for Personalised, Coordinated Care and Support in Mental Health

This report by National Voices and Think Local Act Personal calls for more personalised, coordinated care in mental health services; in particular, that they consider "who I am, what's important to me,...

Health and housing: From consensus to practice

This paper by MHP Health explores how housing is being considered in areas of the country tasked with improving integration between the NHS and community services. However, it reveals that just one quarter...

Closing the gap: priorities for essential change in mental health

The Department of Heath have published this document setting out 25 priorities for change in the way local service planning and delivery will make a difference to the lives of people with mental health...

Housing and Mental Health

This useful new briefing from the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network and the NHF Confederation explores the relationship between mental health and housing in the context of NHS reform. Support...

Supporting recovery in mental health

This briefing by MHN paper outlines eight core features that need to be put in place if personal health budgets in the NHS and personal budgets in social care are to support recovery.

Own Home: An Evaluation of Advance's Home Ownership Scheme

This report evaluates 'Own Home', a shared home ownership scheme run by Advance Housing. It focuses on the experience and views of people involved in the 'Own Home' pilot scheme for people with mental...

Choice based lettings for people with mental health problems

This briefing sets out to increase awareness amongst health and social care staff of Choice Based lettings, so they can support people with mental health problems to access local CBL schemes. It highlights...

Clusters of poor mental health put strain on services

An article by Emily Rogers published in Inside Housing, commenting on part of a CSIP report 'Connecting Housing to the Health and Social Care Agenda'. The CSIP report found that some housing providers...