Salvation Army welcomes Opposition Day Debate on supported housing and government's new funding plans

published on 25 Oct 2017

Salvation Army welcomes Opposition Day Debate on supported housing and government's new funding plans

Today, MPs from all parties will attend an Opposition Day Debate in the House of Commons to express their views on the Government's proposed reform of the funding system for supported housing.

This follows Theresa May’s announcement at Prime Minister Questions that the government has decided not to apply the Local Housing Allowance cap to social housing of all kinds, including supported housing.

Welcoming the announcement and the debate, a spokesperson for The Salvation Army said:

“We are delighted that following concerns expressed by organisations like The Salvation Army and from MPs from across the political spectrum, the government has chosen to reconsider its use of Local Housing Allowance rates as the basis for a new funding system for supported housing. 

“At a time of increasing homelessness, supported housing offers accommodation and support to some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. It is therefore vital that MPs use today’s Opposition Day Debate to discuss how best to provide a more sustainable future for supporting housing services and those they accommodate and support.

“Despite today’s announcement, there are still a number of issues, which must be resolved before our residents and services can be sure that the government has listened to our concerns, including the role of Universal Credit in any new funding system.”

The Salvation Army eagerly awaits full details of the Government’s new approach, which is due to be published next Tuesday, 31 October. The Salvation Army will continue to work with government and others to ensure the best possible outcome for our residents and services.

According to research commissioned by The Salvation Army and conducted by independent consultancy, Frontier Economics, over 90 per cent of The Salvation Army's supported housing would have been at risk if the government had not chosen to rethink its use of Local Housing rates as the basis for its new funding system.