Vulnerable people set up to fail' in Birmingham's streets of unregulated supported' housing

"It's terrible. Putting people with mental health problems in a house of people with mental health problems with no supervision is not helping anyone, the 37-year-old said. They say they're going to do this and that, but as soon as they get you in there, they're not interested. There's no support, so you just end up moving from place to place. They're setting people up to fail. The whole thing is just a money-making scheme."

"Freeman lives in Pershore Road, in Selly Park, which has become saturated with exempt accommodation 42% of the properties here are now exempt housing, many having previously been student houses. A campaign group estimates that there are 258 people living in 55 exempt accommodation properties concentrated in this small area, approximately 12% of the local population. Chris Hasler, a community leader, says there had been a sharp increase in antisocial behaviour n Selly Park, including drug dealing and violence."

"On this road and others nearby, landlords are snapping up cheap terrace houses and converting them from family homes into six- to nine-bedroom properties, cramming bedrooms into attics and extensions. They can then lease these to exempt accommodation providers, who can charge higher rents through housing benefit. But many of these supposedly supported houses come with little support Freeman said someone came to check on him once a week"

Exempt accommodation has expanded rapidly in Birmingham, with about 30,000 units nationally and dense concentrations in areas such as Pershore Road and Selly Park where 42% of properties are now exempt housing. Landlords convert terraces and former student or family homes into six- to nine-bedroom houses, then lease them to providers who claim support while charging higher rents through housing benefit. Many residents receive little or no meaningful mental health or addiction support, leading to frequent breakdowns of tenancies, sleep disruption, drug use, violence, and rising antisocial behaviour. Community leaders and campaigners report saturation of vulnerable tenants and accusations of profit-driven exploitation.

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