Housing associations say new rents policy could jeopardise supported housing

The Housing Corporation’s rent restructuring plans could
jeopardise supported housing schemes, housing associations have
warned.

The National Housing Federation, the representative body for
housing associations, is anxious to ensure rent restructuring in
supported housing compliments the government’s new funding
programme, Supporting People, rather than hinder its progress.

A federation spokesperson said: “We have been concerned about
the effect of restructuring on supported housing, as have many of
our members. However the issues at stake are complex, and we feel
strongly that further modelling and thinking is needed before they
are imposed on the supported sector.”

The department of environment, transport and the regions (DETR)
has set up a group, with the Housing Corporation, to look at rent
restructuring in supported housing.

The federation’s recommendations include recalculating a new
average rent for supported housing around which rents are
restructured, giving supported housing providers greater
flexibility over rents in specialist buildings, and exempting
specialist provision from restructuring when it has been built in
partnership with health and social services as a replacement to
residential or nursing care.