Prima backs the NHF’s Save Our Supported Housing campaign

Prima has backed the National Housing Federation’s (NHF) campaign calling on government to save supported housing by providing long-term funding in the forthcoming Budget.

Supported housing helps thousands of vulnerable people and families across the country live independently, transforming their lives and improving wellbeing. 

For around half a million of the most vulnerable people in society, a supported home is an opportunity to have greater control over their lives with the help they need to build healthy relationships and self-esteem.

Those who benefit from supported housing include older and disabled people, veterans, survivors of domestic abuse, those who have experienced homelessness and young people leaving foster care. 

Without it, NHS mental health hospitals would face 110,000 more days of delayed discharge and 41,000 more people would be homeless.

Currently, supported housing in England saves the public purse in the region of £3.5bn every year.

Prima Group Chief Executive, John Ghader, said: “The sector has presented overwhelming evidence of the wider societal and long-term financial benefits of supported housing.

“Despite this and after years of funding cuts, supported housing is facing an existential crisis with one in three supported housing providers closing schemes due to funding pressures in the last few years and more than half say they will be forced to close schemes in the future if the government doesn’t act.

“While Prima is currently building a scheme in Ashton-under-Lyne, it is only viable due to unique circumstances including existing landownership, significant capital contributions, numerous grants and reprofiling of our development programme – supported housing is so crucial; it needs funding properly.

“Given this, we have joined the NHF urging government to save supported housing before even more vital services are lost.

“We need the government to take urgent action in this month’s Budget to save schemes at imminent risk of closure and set out how supported housing will be funded in the future. This means we need short-term emergency support as well as long-term sustainable funding.”