What is supported housing

Housing

Supported accommodation can include the following:

• a house or flat, where you receive support from social work or other organisations 
• sheltered housing
• a care home or a nursing home
• a hostel or rehabilitation centre.

Supported housing is assistance that is provided to enable someone to manage on a day to day basis whilst they are living in their own home.

It can include things like:

• help with budgeting and paying bills
• planning meals and shopping
• emotional support
• help to pursue social or leisure interests.

Support is usually provided by a support worker, or a team of support workers, who will visit you in your home.  Some types of support worker will be able to go with you to appointments or on shopping trips and support you at social events.  Several housing associations have support teams.  You do not always have to be a tenant of the housing association to receive support from their support team.  There are also support teams who do not have a connection with housing providers who will support you in your own home.

Housing support is suitable for a variety of people with support needs. For example, you may want housing support if you:

• have a learning disability
• have a mental health issue
• have a sensory impairment or physical disability
• are a young person in their first tenancy
• are a young single parent
• are moving into a tenancy after being homeless
• are at risk of becoming homeless
• have drug or alcohol dependency issues.

It doesn't matter where you live.  For example, you can get housing support if you live alone or share your house with other people.  You could be living in a flat, a house, a hostel or sheltered housing.

The number and length of visits you have from your support worker will vary according to the level of support that you require.  Some people only need a couple of short visits each week, whilst other people will need to see someone every day and have access to an on-call service.