Posted 15.02.17
CIH: Article link
Supported housing for older people should be excluded from new funding proposals until at least 2022 - the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has said in its response to the Government's consultation.
The CIH said the Government should not include older people's supported housing in new funding proposals until the full rollout of universal credit has been completed.
It said if providers do not have long-term financial security then schemes would become unviable and this would have significant implications on already strained social and health services.
CIH also said emergency accommodation, including refuges and hostels, should be funded by a separate grant which sits outside of the framework.
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Posted 03.02.17
PlaceShapers: Article link
PlaceShapers' response to the DCLG and DWP consultation sets proposals to help sustain and develop supported housing for elderly and vulnerable people.
It responds to the 12 consultation questions and calls on the Government to abandon the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) link and replace it with a national Supported Housing Allowance that would level the geographical differences and better reflect the true costs of provision.
The response clarifies that supported housing costs are broadly similar around the country. Linking their rents to the LHA would create variable funding gaps for similar cost schemes (with a particular North v South divide), would result in discriminatory outcomes for existing residents as a result of a postcode lottery approach to top-up funding and would act as a deterrent to the planning of new schemes other than in high-value areas.