We must take this chance to end the rogues’ exploitation of people in vulnerable situations

Jean Templeton, Chief Executive, St Basils

18.11.2022

Jean Templeton, CEO of St. Basils, reflects on new laws being introduced in Parliament this week, backed by Crisis and our Regulate the Rogues campaign, to root out rogue landlords from supported housing.

This week sees the second reading of Bob Blackman MP’s Private Members’ Bill, in response to the shocking evidence that has emerged through the Levelling Up Select Committee Inquiry about the scandal happening in plain sight in supported housing.

Over the last year, story after story has come to light about how exploitative landlords are using loopholes in the system to claim higher rates of Housing Benefit, but failing to provide the safe accommodation and support to residents this money is for.

Like many others, I’ve been deeply frustrated that despite testimony from people who have had to suffer unspeakably awful conditions over a number of years, backed up by mounting evidence from voluntary agencies, councils and academics.

It is only now with this bill that we have a real prospect of delivering change.

Change cannot come soon enough

For St Basils, this change cannot come soon enough. The reason it is possible for some landlords to receive higher rates of Housing Benefit is so genuinely not for profit organisations can cover the higher management, maintenance and running costs of providing good quality supported housing.

These costs can be significant for people living with complex care and support needs. Higher rates of Housing Benefit are critical to help us cover those costs alongside the patchwork of funding, that good providers often have to put together to fund support, against a backdrop of cuts to support funding.  

But what we’ve seen is some agencies exploiting the system by claiming to provide support and ‘cheap’ accommodation, targeting people who are amongst the most marginalised in our communities.

In reality what’s on offer is often shockingly poor, dangerous housing, and little or nothing in the way of support. This mess of a system leaves people with the least choice at the mercy of rogue operators.

Instead of getting the specialised, trauma informed support they need, people are being subjected to all manner of harm, while unscrupulous operators and investors extract higher rates of housing benefit.

While this is bad enough, it’s perhaps more shocking that neither councils or any of the other regulatory bodies involved in overseeing social housing, care services or charities have the full range of powers they need to put a stop to this.

Birmingham City Council took part in the Government’s Supported Housing pilots to look at what could be done to improve things. A key learning point from these was that without regulatory change, Councils don’t have the powers they need to enforce good practice and prevent rogue operators entering the market.

While Birmingham has an accreditation system and residents charter, without enforcement powers, the problematic providers simply don’t sign up to it.

Supported housing providers should have nothing to fear

While I’ve been a supporter of the case for regulatory reform, for organisations like St Basils, it’s critical that new powers are introduced in a way that is targeted and proportionate so as not to destabilise much needed good quality provision.

It also doesn’t make any sense – especially against a backdrop of pressure on public spending - for councils to have to regulate the many providers who are already properly held to account through existing oversight systems.

I’ve been reassured to see provisions in the bill allowing Government to exempt certain groups of providers from licensing. But I’m also pleased to see the bill creating powers to introduce National Support Standards, with requirements on Government to consult on these and the way they are enforced. If we’re doing things well, supported housing providers should have nothing to fear from greater scrutiny.

If the bill passes its second reading on 18 November - and I hope it will - we have a job to do now as a sector to influence the conversation about how these reforms are shaped.

I hope it is just the start of a wider conversation about addressing the shortfalls in support funding and social housing investment that have contributed to the mess we’re in.