Supported Exempt Accommodation Must Be Brought Under Local Control

For too long, communities across Birmingham have been paying the price for a broken system of supported exempt accommodation.

Nobody disputes that supported housing has an important role to play. Vulnerable individuals leaving homelessness, escaping domestic abuse, recovering from addiction, or dealing with complex life circumstances need appropriate accommodation and support. Good providers perform a valuable service and should be supported.

The problem is that Birmingham’s exempt accommodation sector has grown far beyond its original purpose, with insufficient oversight, inadequate regulation and little regard for the communities expected to absorb its impact.

Residents in Sutton Wylde Green regularly contact me with concerns about the rapid spread of supported exempt accommodation in established family neighbourhoods. Properties are often converted without any meaningful consultation with local residents, without planning permission, and without the safeguards that would apply to many other forms of housing development.

The result is a system that has lost public confidence.

Across Birmingham, there is widespread concern about the overconcentration of exempt accommodation in particular areas. Communities report increased pressure on local services, parking problems, anti-social behaviour, and the gradual erosion of neighbourhood character. At the same time, vulnerable residents are too often placed in accommodation where the promised support is inconsistent or inadequate.

The current framework simply does not strike the right balance between supporting vulnerable individuals and protecting local communities.

One of the most frustrating aspects is the lack of local democratic control. Unlike many other housing developments, HMO’s or business considerations, exempt accommodation providers can frequently establish themselves without planning permission, public consultation, or local scrutiny. Residents- and Councillors- often discover a property has been converted only after it is already operating.

In my own ward of Sutton Wylde Green, two former three-bedroom family homes were purchased and converted into five-bedroom exempt accommodation properties by a Registered Social Landlord. These changes took place in a quiet residential area close to primary schools and with limited parking provision. Yet there was no opportunity for residents to express concerns, no independent assessment of the suitability of the location, and no meaningful involvement from the local community.

This cannot be right.

That is why I recently wrote to the Minister responsible for housing matters, following earlier correspondence from Cllr Robert Alden and the response from the then Minister for Homelessness. In my letter I highlighted a number of serious concerns, including:

• The overconcentration of exempt accommodation in residential communities.
• The absence of planning controls.
• The lack of accountability despite significant public expenditure through housing benefit.
• The inconsistent standards of support being provided.
• The inability of residents to raise concerns or influence decisions.
• The absence of any independent assessment of whether locations are suitable.

Perhaps most concerning is that Birmingham is widely reported to have a substantial oversupply of exempt accommodation compared with local need. This raises legitimate questions about whether public funding is being directed effectively and whether vulnerable people are always receiving the support they deserve.

The answer is not to abolish supported housing. The answer is to regulate it properly.

I strongly believe supported exempt accommodation should either be brought fully within the planning system or be subject to a robust licensing regime administered by local authorities. Councils understand the needs of their communities and are best placed to determine where supported housing is appropriate, how much is needed, and whether providers are meeting acceptable standards.

Providers that genuinely deliver high-quality support should have nothing to fear from stronger regulation. In fact, proper oversight would help drive rogue operators out of the sector and restore public confidence.

This is why Bob Blackman’s Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 is so important. The Act recognises many of the problems that local authorities such as Birmingham have been highlighting for years. It creates the framework for national standards, licensing arrangements and stronger oversight of supported housing providers.

The key test now is implementation.

Communities cannot wait years for meaningful reform while more properties are converted and more neighbourhoods experience the consequences of a system that lacks effective control. The Government must move quickly to introduce licensing, strengthen enforcement powers and ensure that housing benefit funding is linked to genuine support provision.

Most importantly, local councils must be given the powers they need to manage supported accommodation in their areas. Whether through planning controls, licensing schemes or a combination of both, local authorities should be able to prevent overconcentration, protect vulnerable residents and maintain the balance of their communities.

Supported housing should support people. It should not undermine communities.

It is time for Government to finish the job, implement the reforms promised by Bob Blackman’s legislation, and give councils the powers they need to bring supported exempt accommodation under proper control.