Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has to improve access to secure housing for people with complex mental health needs.
The Government is committed to improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes, particularly for people who experience worse outcomes than the general population. This is a key part of our commitment to ‘level up’ and address unequal outcomes and life chances across the country.
Local authorities are responsible for drawing up and operating their allocation scheme for social housing. In doing so they must give ‘reasonable preference’ to specific groups including people who need to move on medical or welfare grounds. This will include people with mental health needs. Statutory guidance advises local authorities to consider giving additional preference (high priority) to those who need to move urgently because of a sudden disability.
In addition, people with acute enduring mental health issues may also be able to access specialist supported housing provision with personal care, through local adult social care system commissioning.
Furthermore, the White Paper People at the Heart of Care published in December 2021 set out Government’s ambition to ensure people, including those with complex mental health needs, have the choice and control to remain independent in the community.