Councillors have agreed to invest up to £200,000 to reduce the risk of people becoming homeless and help replace Housing Related Support (HRS).
Members of West Suffolk Council agreed proposals at their meeting on 16 July which would allow the vital support to continue in the district.
West Suffolk Council and other district and borough councils have continued to work with Suffolk County Council to reach a collective solution to the issue after funding of HRS was significantly reduced by the County council.
Supported housing currently helps more than half a million people in England to live independently in their communities. It provides a vital service to the people in society who need the most support. This includes survivors of domestic abuse, people with disabilities, those with mental health problems, people facing homelessness and young people leaving care.
In addition, supported housing helps ease the pressure on the NHS and care services and saves the public purse around £940 per resident per year.
The current value of Suffolk County Council’s contract in West Suffolk is £963,191 per annum which provides support for 173 bedspaces in the district. It is feared that without this providers may stop making these places available or sell properties leaving people without a place to stay, including those who are most vulnerable.
Councillors agreed a recommendation to explore in more detail with providers the additional capacity needed to enable the Council to commission services in West Suffolk to cater for those with medium and high support needs and mitigate the impact on services
This includes increasing the budget available up to a maximum of £200,000 per year so a more nuanced and local response can be developed that meets local demand and supports need.
The recommendation also includes sourcing additional temporary accommodation and undertake a system review of the current Supported Housing Options available to homeless people in West Suffolk.
West Suffolk Council has committed to focusing on the delivery of affordable, available and decent homes as one of its strategic priorities, and this is being developed through the emerging Housing, Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy. The impact of the ceasing of the county wide support will be further considered through that.
Councillor Richard O’Driscoll, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “The delivery of affordable, available and decent homes is not only a strategic priority for the Council but a must for our communities. We have been working closely with the County Council as well as other Suffolk district and borough councils to find a solution. Housing Related Support is a vital lifeline for some of the most vulnerable and it is important that we do what we can within our own budget pressures to make sure support continues and we prevent people from becoming homeless.”
The County Council, effected by a range of budgetary pressures made the announcement to stop HRS as it needed to secure a £3 million budget reduction (split as £1 million in 2024/25 and the remainder in 2025/26).