Blog by Amy Laurie, Co-Director of Care and Supported Housing, Hightown Housing Association.
A stable, suitable home is not a luxury – it is the foundation for independence, wellbeing, and opportunity. For people with complex needs, specialist supported housing is the key to living safely and with dignity. As providers, we are committed to delivering high-quality support – but to do so sustainably, we need the government to truly recognise the essential role of this sector and invest accordingly.
This ‘Starts at Home Day’ follows the launch of the government’s transformative ‘Delivering a Decade of Renewal for Social and Affordable Housing’ plan, which is a welcome step forward.
It acknowledges the importance of funding specialist housing and encourages providers to submit “ambitious bids” into the new Supported Affordable Housing Programme (SAHP), with a focus on innovation in both design and delivery.
This is a moment of opportunity – but also one of responsibility. The future of inclusive communities depends on a shared commitment: to fund, protect, and grow supported housing so that everyone, regardless of need, can live with dignity, choice and as much independence as possible.
The challenge: integration and investment
While the plan rightly highlights the role of housing in broader social outcomes, it falls short in one critical area: integration. There is little clarity on how supported housing will be aligned with NHS services, adult social care reforms, and mental health support pathways. This need for clarity is echoed by the Casey Commission’s recommendations on reforms to adult social care, which call for more simplified funding mechanisms to support the expansion of joint health and social care services.
Without integration, we risk missing the full potential of supported housing as part of a holistic, joined up care system.
We know from experience that when housing, health, and care services work together, the results are transformative. Over the years, our sector has seen pockets of impactful partnerships that have improved lives and delivered significant public savings. But these examples remain the exception, not the rule.
To truly deliver a decade of renewal, we must scale up these successes. That means long-term revenue funding commitments that enable local authorities, housing associations and NHS services to work in partnership – not in silos.
Innovation in action
At Hightown, we’ve seen firsthand what’s possible when collaboration is prioritised. In March 2024, we opened Martin House – a specialist supported housing service for individuals facing multiple disadvantage. This was made possible through capital funding from the district council and the then Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), as part of the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme.
Martin House was transformed from a tired HMO into 16 high-quality, self-contained flats, supported by an on-site specialist team and a Hub Coordinator. It’s more than just a building, it’s a gateway to a coordinated pathway of support across the district, offering safety, dignity and a real chance at independence for the people we support.
To complement this, we piloted a hybrid model combining temporary accommodation and supported housing. This innovation allowed the district council to retain five temporary accommodation units that would otherwise have been lost due to funding constraints. It also created ten transitional move-on flats, helping to free up spaces and provide a vital stepping stone to independent living.
These are not just housing solutions, they are life-changing interventions. But they require vision, commitment, and, crucially, sustained investment.
A sector-wide call to action
The SAHP invites ambitious bids – and we must rise to the challenge. But ambition must be matched with partnership. To truly innovate, we must work in partnership with health and social care, ensuring our housing solutions are part of a wider system of support.
As a provider of care and supported housing with experience of delivering integrated models of housing and support, we know that there are three key ingredients required to strengthen collaboration and drive delivery:
1. Integrated planning
Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and specialist housing providers must work together to understand the real-world impact of plans developed under the Integrated Care System (ICS) framework. We must ask: where are partnerships working well? Where are they missing? And how can we replicate success across the country?
2. Sustained funding
Long-term financial commitments are essential. This includes increased capital grant funding and extended, affordable revenue funding. Annual, short-term funding cycles are no longer fit for purpose. We need ringfenced, multi-year funding that enables providers to plan, innovate and deliver lasting impact.
3. Shared accountability
Collaboration must be underpinned by shared goals and mutual accountability. Housing, health and care providers must co-design services that reflect the needs of the people we support – and be jointly responsible for their success.
The government’s plan sets the stage for a new era in supported housing. But it is up to us – as providers, commissioners, and partners – to bring that vision to life.