Commonweal reacts to Supported Housing Bill

Ashley Horsey, Chief Executive at Commonweal Housing responds to the publication of the full text of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill, which seeks to clamp down on rogue providers of exempt accommodation and establish a local authority management framework.

The Supported Housing Bill, sponsored by Bob Blackman MP, is set for its second reading in the House of Commons Friday 18 November.

Ashley Horsey, Chief Executive at Commonweal Housing, said: “This Bill provides the framework and expectation for local authorities to manage and oversee the state and scale of exempt accommodation provision in their boroughs. We have long said councils need to be in the lead on this. There is still so much detail needed – which Commonweal and others will be keen to see going forward – but the positive intentions are clear. We believe this enabling Bill gives an opportunity to draw a ‘duration divide’ in terms of the aims and role of different forms of exempt accommodation which will be vital to long-term success. We congratulate Bob Blackman MP for taking the initiative on this issue and we believe the Bill goes some way in ensuring that the unscrupulous exempt accommodation landlords are driven out and that vulnerable people are given the appropriate housing and support they need. We hope to see the Government’s backing of this Bill.”