Deadly Delays: Vulnerable People at Risk as Supported Housing Law Remains Unimplemented
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The lack of regulation in England’s supported housing sector is contributing to preventable deaths and widespread community damage, as a crucial law designed to protect vulnerable residents remains stalled more than two years after receiving royal assent.
For individuals recently released from prison, those battling substance abuse, survivors of domestic violence, and people with mental health challenges, supported accommodation is often presented as a pathway to independent living. However, a growing scandal involving “exempt” supported accommodation – where landlords exploit housing benefit regulations – has created a system rife with exploitation and neglect. Unscrupulous providers are reportedly prioritizing profit over the wellbeing of residents, offering substandard housing and minimal support.
Two Years of Limbo
The Supported Housing Act, a private member’s bill spearheaded by Conservative MP Bob Blackman, was intended to address these issues. Passed into law with cross-party support, the act promised to introduce minimum standards, licensing schemes, and a national expert advisory panel to oversee the sector. Yet, implementation has been repeatedly delayed due to a lack of finalized regulations.
“I’m getting increasingly anxious and angry that we’re in a position where this has been allowed to drift for two years now,” Blackman stated. “It has been left in limbo and local authorities are doing their own thing.” He warned that the absence of national oversight is allowing “rogue landlords” to profit from the system, expanding their portfolios of substandard properties.
“Horror Stories” of Neglect and Abuse
The consequences of this inaction are dire. Crisis, a national charity working to end homelessness, has documented harrowing conditions in exempt accommodation. Jasmine Basran, the head of policy and campaigns at Crisis, described “horror stories” including “rooms infested with mice and mould, people having to share a washing machine with 70 others, and people facing abuse and intimidation when trying to speak up.”
While the passage of the act initially prompted some disreputable providers to exit the market, Basran emphasized that the lack of enforcement continues to leave vulnerable individuals at risk of exploitation. The core problem lies in the practice of placing highly vulnerable people in shared homes, which can worsen existing issues like addiction and mental illness, and contribute to violence and antisocial behavior.
Birmingham: A City Overrun
The impact is particularly acute in cities like Birmingham, which has approximately 30,000 exempt accommodation places. Landlords are converting family homes into overcrowded house-shares – sometimes accommodating eight or nine residents – to maximize profits from housing benefit payments. This rapid expansion is straining local resources and disrupting communities.
The Dying Homeless Project at the Museum of Homelessness has been tracking deaths linked to poor-quality exempt accommodation. Gill Taylor, who leads the project, expressed deep concern over the delays in implementing the new law. Their research has identified at least 36 deaths in exempt accommodation across 10 local authorities in 2024 alone. However, Taylor cautioned that this figure is likely a significant underestimate, as the vast majority of councils do not systematically collect data on deaths within this type of housing.
“People are dying and people are suffering when they’re not dying, and nobody knows about it,” Taylor said. She highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive data collection to understand the scale of the problem and identify those most at risk. “It’s not that local authorities don’t care about this issue, it’s that at the moment they simply have no way of knowing what’s going on, to who, and where.”
Systemic Failures and Provider Non-Compliance
While some local councils are attempting to address the issue through their own measures, campaigners argue that these efforts are insufficient without national regulation. The situation in Birmingham is particularly troubling, with five large providers dominating the market and all having been deemed “non-compliant” by the Regulator of Social Housing.
Recent reports surrounding the bankruptcy of Midland Livings CIC, a provider operating in the region, revealed disturbing practices. Administrators uncovered evidence of security guards being employed to protect residents after a series of serious incidents, including allegations of intimidation tactics used to pressure tenants into signing leases and vacating properties, unlawful entry into homes, theft, and the misappropriation of funds.
Government Response and Future Outlook
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government acknowledged the challenges of housing insecurity and homelessness, pointing to the National Plan to End Homelessness and a recent £124 million investment in supported housing. The spokesperson stated that the Supported Housing Act remains a “priority” and that implementation will begin next month, aiming to provide necessary support and ensure providers prioritize the needs of residents.
Despite this assurance, the two-year delay has already had devastating consequences, leaving countless vulnerable individuals exposed to exploitation and risk. The urgency of the situation demands swift and decisive action to ensure that the promise of the Supported Housing Act is finally realized, and that those in need of support receive safe, dignified, and effective accommodation.
