Vulnerable people still living in unsafe supported housing in England two years after law was passed

"People are dying in unsafe accommodation and communities are being irreversibly damaged due to delays to a new law to clamp down on unregulated supported housing in England. It has been more than two years since the Supported Housing Act, a private member's bill brought by the Conservative MP Bob Blackman, that applies to England and Wales, was given royal assent but it has yet to be implemented due to delays in creating the regulations."

"It was designed to tackle the scandal of exempt supported accommodation, in which unscrupulous landlords are making millions of pounds via housing benefit, providing poor-quality homes for vulnerable people, often providing little or no support. Supported accommodation is typically used to house people who have recently been released from prison, people with substance abuse issues, people fleeing domestic violence or people with mental health problems who require support to live independently."

"I'm getting increasingly anxious and angry that we're in a position where this has been allowed to drift for two years now, said Blackman. It has been left in limbo and local authorities are doing their own thing. It's a real problem because we're not getting the right sort of impetus from the government, and as a result, I'm pretty certain those rogue landlords are just making money hand over fist and increasing the number of properties they're involved in."

Delays in enacting the Supported Housing Act have left exempt supported accommodation largely unregulated in England and Wales, allowing unscrupulous landlords to profit from housing benefit while providing poor-quality, sometimes dangerous housing and minimal support. Vulnerable residents include recently released prisoners, people with substance misuse or mental health problems, and survivors of domestic violence. A government consultation on regulations launched in February has not reached a public response, and campaigners warn implementation could take years. The act would establish minimum standards, licensing schemes and a national expert advisory panel. Local authorities are operating inconsistently, and charities report severe property conditions.

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