The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act (2023)
Birmingham City Council were one of the key national stakeholders that lobbied the government to introduce better regulation and oversight of supported housing.
This resulted in the government introducing new legislation called the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act (2023).
The aims of the Act include:
- requiring councils to set up licensing schemes for SEA accommodation providers
- regulations around property standards and the support provided to vulnerable tenants
- creating a national expert advisory panel to advise on matters related to supported housing
- requiring local authorities in England to review supported housing in their areas and develop strategies to understand the current and future needs within their districts
- changing laws that currently define people as ‘intentionally homeless’ when leaving unsuitable supported exempt accommodation (SEA)
- the sharing of information relating to licensing between local authorities, regulators, and government bodies
The Act came into force on 29 August 2023 but is subject to further consultation before it is implemented.
Consultation
The Government has published the consultation on implementing measures set out in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.
The proposals in the consultation include the introduction of a locally led licensing regime for supported housing in England and new National Standards for support.
The consultation also seeks views on potentially linking Housing Benefit to the licensing regime in England, and to new or existing frameworks in Scotland and Wales. It also seeks views on defining care, support, and supervision in Housing Benefit regulations in England, Scotland, and Wales.
This consultation is an opportunity for providers, residents, and stakeholders to help design an effective regulatory system that ensures supported housing delivers the support people need.
It is important to the Government that those with a view respond to the proposals set out in the .
The consultation is open for 12 weeks and closes on 15 May 2025.
For the next few weeks, officials from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions are available to answer questions. They also plan to deliver a series of focus groups.
For any questions about the consultation, contact SupportedHousingConsultations@communities.gov.uk.
Supported housing strategy
Birmingham’s supported housing strategy was agreed at Cabinet in January 2023.
We had already carried out a supported housing needs assessment in 2021. This assessment is currently under review.
We have a five-year vision for supported housing in Birmingham. This is built on four strategic priorities. They are:
- lobbying for legislative changes, national reform and an increase in funding
- rebalancing the city’s accommodation by reducing the number of supported housing units
- improving the quality and oversight of support provision.
- Introducing interim management measures
Housing needs assessment
An analysis of the supported housing needs of Birmingham was undertaken in 2021. This analysis found that there is approximately a 50% oversupply of supported housing.
The SEA multi-disciplinary partnership team will inspect all new providers who apply for exempt status.
This is our analysis of the supported housing needs of the city.
Page last updated: 24 February 2025