SUPPORTED HOUSING

That this House welcomes the Government's deferral of the planned housing benefit cap for supported housing residents until 2019-20; notes that people living in supported housing face a number of challenges, including significant mental health problems, learning disability, physical disability, homelessness, addiction and fleeing domestic violence; further notes that this provision is vital to the realisation of ambitions set out in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, the Transforming Care Programme and the Homelessness Reduction Bill; expresses concern about the potential inadequacy of the proposed local top-up fund to replace housing benefit spend; further expresses concern about the impact that these proposals could have on the ability of housing providers to develop and maintain supported housing services; and calls on the Government to ensure that these groups are adequately protected by any future reforms and to explore ways to make better use of resources to improve the lives of those relying on supported housing, including developing the use of Housing First and other innovative approaches.