#SOSHousing: Save Our Supported Housing

Supported housing in England is facing a crisis, but with the right government support we can save it.

A supported home is a lifeline for thousands of people who need help to live independently. But after years of funding cuts, many supported housing services have already been lost, with many more now facing closure while demand continues to rise.

Last year, 1 in 3 supported housing providers had to close schemes because of funding pressures, and 60% say they will be forced to close schemes in the future. Changes to National Insurance Contribution further threaten current, and future supported homes. Without these homes, more people face homelessness, longer stays in hospital or in-patient mental health units or homes that do not meet their care needs.

Without intervention from the government at the upcoming Spending Review, supported housing faces a worsening funding crisis, more service closures, and even more pressure on our vital public services, including the NHS, social care, homelessness services, and the criminal justice system. That’s why we’re campaigning to save our supported housing now, and for the future.

What are we asking the government to do?

To save our supported housing and keep a roof over people’s heads, we're asking the government to:

Significantly increase funding for housing-related support to at least £1.6bn per year.
Commit to delivering more supported homes by 2040, with clear funding in the Affordable Homes Programme and supported homes a key part of the government’s 1.5m housebuilding target.
Ensure that the long-term housing strategy and homelessness strategy encompass the vital role of supported housing in the housing system.

Get involved

In this toolkit, you’ll find actions you can take to help save our supported housing. You can help by:

Signing our joint letter to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Writing to your MP.
Sharing our campaign posts on social media.

These actions will culminate in a campaign day on 26 April, where we’ll be handing our joint letter to Downing Street and calling for change across social media.

1. Sign our joint letter to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

We need the government to commit to real action and invest in the future of supported housing before more vital services are lost. That’s why we’re sending this letter to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ask for their support.

Your organisation can sign the letter from now until the 14 April 2025. We’ll be handing it in to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer towards the end of April. Please note we will include one signature per organisation on the letter.

Sign the letter

Read the letter

2. Write to your MP to make sure they understand the crisis.

It’s vital MPs understand the value of supported housing and the crisis it faces. To help you tell your MP about the campaign ahead of the Spending Review, we’ve put together a template letter for you to adapt and use.

If you want to organise a visit with an MP and show them your supported housing scheme firsthand, then we want to hear about it. Get in touch with our team to let them know about your plans and find out how we can help you prepare.

Download the template letter

3. Share campaign posts on your social media.

Together, we can use our voice to tell political stakeholders how we can safeguard the future of supported housing. By sharing these campaign posts on social media, you can help us spread the word about the crisis facing supported housing, and what we need to do to fix it.

There is some suggested tweet copy and graphics you could use below, but please do personalise your posts. Using the link below, you can download social graphics, and make your own using Canva templates.

Make sure you share the campaign hashtags #SaveOurSupportedHousing #SOSHousing.

Download the social media graphics here

Social post 1

Did you know?

Supported housing saves the government up to £15,500 per person annually, but years of funding cuts mean providers are at breaking point and schemes are closing across the country. Without it, homelessness, NHS delays, and reoffending will rise.

#SaveOurSupportedHousing #SOSHousing

Social post 2

The cost of ignoring supported housing?

A rise in homelessness.
More pressure on NHS and prison services.
Increased reoffending.
More violence against women and girls.

The government can’t afford to let this happen. #SaveOurSupportedHousing

Who to speak to

Alex Diner, Head of External Affairs and Campaigns

alex.diner@housing.org.uk