Supported oversight housing pilots - DLUHC final evaluation

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have just published their final evaluation of the supported oversight housing pilots. We welcome the publication of the independent evaluation of the government’s supported housing pilots with its recommendations to protect the wellbeing of tenants through ensuring quality and value for money.

Key findings of the report:

• Local authorities reported that the pilots improved the quality of resident support and helped make it more tailored and sufficient for residents.
• Over the course of the pilots, local authorities have reduced the number of illegitimate or unreasonable housing benefit claims paid out, by improving the process of housing benefit scrutiny and increasing the number of reviews carried out.
• At the end of the pilots, local authorities estimated that they had prevented £6.2m being paid in error.
• Local authorities agreed that the pilots led to improved quality and standards of accommodation through investment in property inspections and enforcement activities to identify and resolve property hazards.
• Local authorities found that conducting an assessment of demand for and supply of supported housing helped to improve their understanding of the local market. Local authorities that conducted a strategic planning exercise experienced further benefits.
• The pilots improved local authorities’ ability to intervene in new provision and prevent providers from establishing new and unnecessary schemes.
• Partnerships and multi-disciplinary ways of working were vital contributors to activity success.

We will be working with the government on the planned changes to regulations and powers, and will explore the potential for promoting strategic planning, commissioning of support, better referral routes and encouraging multiagency working.

There will be opportunities for members to feed into the next steps of this process and we will keep you updated about these as and when we find out more.