£300m challenge to create supported housing developments across England

The increasing collaboration between healthcare providers and local authorities is expected to gather pace after the Government announced a £300m fund to create supported housing developments across England.

From today, local authorities will be able to bid for part of the moneypot, which will boost the supported housing market and help people to grow old in their own homes without relying on hospital care.

The money is expected to create up to 9000 extra houses and flats specially designed for the needs of disabled and older people who need extra support.

Care and Support Minister, Norman Lamb, said: “Many people want to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible, and as the population ages more and more of us will need housing that supports us.

“Our £300m fund will help create thousands of homes, providing people with more choice and an alternative to residential care

“Our £300m fund will help create thousands of homes, providing people with more choice and an alternative to residential care.”

From today local housing providers across the country will be able to bid for money to either build specially designed new homes, or to modernise existing specialised housing to bring it up to standard. This supported, or specialised, housing is designed to be accessible and aid independent living by having, for example, few or no stairs, cupboards that are at an accessible height for wheelchair users, adapted bathrooms, handrails, and individual front doors. In particular, the fund will be targeting specialised housing available for owner occupation or shared ownership.

Lamb said: “Specially designed housing of this kind can give people the option to downsize from a larger home to a more manageable property designed for their needs.

“In the first phase of the programme, bids will be invited from housing providers who have worked closely with a local authority and health colleagues to design affordable schemes that meet the needs of the local population.”

This will enable us to apply the principles of linking good specialist housing design with health and quality of life while at the same time getting developers and providers to develop new innovative ways of delivering good quality housing that addresses local need and demand

The fund will be run in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Greater London Authority (for London-based schemes), which will be assessing and evaluating the bids.

Pat Ritchie, chief executive of the HCA, said: “This will enable us to apply the principles of linking good specialist housing design with health and quality of life while at the same time getting developers and providers to develop new innovative ways of delivering good quality housing that addresses local need and demand.

I’d like to see some truly innovative proposals coming forward, ones which set new standards in design and that can provide a benchmark for how this type of housing should be delivered

“This fund recognises the benefits which high quality housing opportunities for both older and disabled people can have in allowing them to remain independent for longer – raising their quality of life and helping reduce the burden on the health service.”

The cash was also welcomed by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who added: “Quality housing for older and disabled Londoners is in short supply and there is a pressing need to meet increasing demand. I am determined that this fund helps to deliver high quality homes that people want to live in and which reflect the diversity of their needs and aspirations.

“I’d like to see some truly innovative proposals coming forward, ones which set new standards in design and that can provide a benchmark for how this type of housing should be delivered.”

For more information on how to apply for funding, visit the HCA website by clicking here.