Fairoak Housing Association chief executive Lisa Chant was invited to be part of a delegation at the Houses of Parliament recently, advocating the need for greater supported housing for people with learning disabilities and autistic people in England.
The delegation, coordinated by the The Learning Disability and Autism Housing Network, were there to highlight to MPs a report written by the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN) and commissioned by the Learning Disability and Autism Housing Network.
The report is the culmination of new research and the most up to date information on the size, scope, cost, supply and, most importantly, the future need of supported housing in England for individuals with a learning disability and autistic people.
The report, published in June 2023, presented some key findings which were reached by undertaking primary research and through the analysis of existing evidence, including:
- In England, between 35,000 to 37,500 people with a learning disability and autism currently live in supported housing.
- 23% of these people live in mainstream housing with a care/support package
- 15% are living in residential and/or nursing care settings, and 37% live with family and friends.
- About 5,600 units of supported housing for people with learning disabilities and autistic people have been developed since 2017. Of those, the majority have been provided through private capital or leased arrangements, with only around 13.5% funded by public capital funding.
- It is estimated that there will be a shortfall of between 27,000 and 34,500 supported housing units by 2037.
- And that supported housing plays an increasingly critical role in enabling people with a learning disability and autistic people to live independently at the heart of their communities.
Lisa Chant: “The report and the research that underpins it has provided the evidence which we all hope will inform our politicians and influence this and future governments in relation towards supported housing for people with a learning disability and autistic people.”
“I was honoured to be asked to be included in the delegation at the House of Commons and able to tell MPs about Fairoak and the independent housing we provide for our tenants in Cumbria, County Durham and Lancashire.”
“This report highlights very clearly the need for significant investment, from both the private and the public sector, to increase accommodation in order to meet the needs of people with a learning disability and autistic people in the years ahead.”
“It also estimates that demand for such housing will increase by nearly 20,000 over the next 15-years, that’s around 2,000 units each year between now and 2037.”
“We were invited to contribute ourselves to the report, and much of the information aligned with findings from across the country in terms of the benefits to tenants from supported housing and the continued year-on-year increase in demand.”
“The high quality supported accommodation provided by Fairoak affords our tenants the opportunity to live independently at the level that is right for their individual needs. It continues to be the enduring vision why Fairoak was established and, as we look to the future, one which will always continue.”