A landmark government study has revealed the scale of Britain's supported living housing shortage, highlighting an urgent need for increased capacity in this vital sector.
The Current Shortfall
Britain currently has 634,000 supported living units, but this falls drastically short of actual need. The study identifies an immediate shortfall of up to 388,100 units - meaning nearly 40% of those requiring supported living accommodation cannot access it.
Growing Demand by 2040
The demand for supported living will nearly double by 2040, requiring between 995,600 and 1,275,000 units total. This includes:
- 310,800 additional units needed for working-age adults
- Significant increases needed across all support categories
- Rising demand from multiple vulnerable groups
Critical Housing Needs
The study identifies critical shortages in accommodation for:
- People with learning disabilities and autism
- Mental health supported accommodation
- Single homelessness provision
- Domestic abuse survivors
- Young people leaving care
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Veterans
- People with drug and alcohol issues
- Prison leavers
Property and Service Challenges
The sector faces mounting pressures:
- Severe shortage of suitable properties
- Limited availability of development sites
- Rising operational costs including energy, insurance, and maintenance
- Staffing challenges, particularly for 24-hour supervision
- Complex planning and regulatory requirements
- Increasing complexity of resident needs
- Financial sustainability concerns for charitable providers
The message is clear: Britain faces a supported living housing crisis that requires immediate attention.
The government has committed to ensuring a sustainable supported housing sector that enables vulnerable people to live as independently as possible within the community. However, without significant action to increase the availability of suitable properties, this gap between supply and demand will continue to widen, leaving vulnerable people without the specialised accommodation they desperately need.
At Supported Living Gateway, we believe collaboration is key to addressing this critical shortage. By bringing together property owners and care providers, we're working to create more high-quality supported living homes across Britain. Get in touch to find out how you can be part of the solution.
You can read the full government report here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-housing-review-2023
