What is Supported Living?

‘Supported living or housing ’ is a solution for vulnerable people to maintain their dignity and be part of a community.

It is a variety of schemes designed to provide both housing and support to help vulnerable people live as independently as possible in their community and maintain not only their tenancies, hence tackling and preventing societal issues such as homelessness, poverty, mental health breakdowns, and risk of abuse. These schemes are designed to meet the needs of particular client groups, such as people with mental health issues, learning or physical disabilities, addiction issues, victims and women at risk of domestic violence, teenage parents, ex-offenders, or older people.

The following aims encapsulate the purpose of supported housing:

•The support enables service users to live as independently as possible in the community

•Service users are empowered to be socially included.

•Support varies and relates to the nature of accommodation

•It is a finite and increasingly limited resource only available to those who are vulnerable