Supported housing

You can be considered for supported housing if you:

• are 16* to 59 years old and
• are single and
• have housing related support needs

And are experiencing any of the following:

• homelessness
• mental health problems
• substance misuse
• learning difficulties
• domestic abuse

*There are a limited number of supported housing placements for those aged 16 and 17 years of age. Children aged 16 and 17 years of age will normally be the responsibility of their parents or Children’s Services. It is only in exceptional circumstances that they may be considered for a supported housing placement through the housing department. All referrals for young person services will be sent through Children Services.

Supported housing can offer help with any of the following:

• day to day budgeting
• learn living skills
• engaging in employment, further education or training
• accessing benefits
• accessing advice, support and liaison services
• maintaining a safe and secure home
• developing social and support networks
• moving on to live independently within the private rented sector
• access to peer mentoring and psychological support.

If you are single and homeless or threatened with homelessness, you should seek advice from our housing team. Further details about how to approach the team can be found on the homelessness advice webpage.

You can refer direct by contacting Julian House Outreach Team on 01256 322791. Referrals can be made by other agencies, such as:

• Adult Services
  
• Community Mental Health Team
  
• National Probation Service
  
• Youth Offending Team
  
• The Prison Service

The wait to secure accommodation at May Place House may take several weeks, following an accepted referral. This is because there are limited bed spaces and there are often many people trying to access this accommodation. As soon as a space is available the provider of the service will contact you directly.

• May Place House, 20 short term bed spaces
• Mary Rose Court, 19 short term accommodation bedsits/flats, 27 short-medium term shared rooms and flats, lower support
  
• Homelessness Prevention Tenancy Training Programmes
  
• Rough Sleeper Outreach and Navigator services (multiple high needs support)
  
• Outcome Home - a social enterprise providing peer mentorship and psychological services, for people who experience homelessness in the Basingstoke and Deane area
• Womens Early Intervention Service
• Housing First
• Low level supported accommodation projects

You usually move on from May Place House within three to five months. If you move on into alternative supported housing from May Place House, it is likely that you will stay for six months to two years.

The most likely way that you will move on will be into the private rented sector. You will need to save money and develop your tenancy skills to allow you to successfully live independently in the private rented sector.

Your support plan whilst living in supported housing will focus on budgeting and saving money towards a deposit and rent in advance within the private rented sector. If you are under the age of 25 then this would be for a room in a shared house. If you are aged 25 and over, this could be a studio or one bedroom flat.

You might not be referred to supported housing if:

• you do not have housing related support needs
• you have previously successfully managed and maintained a tenancy and do not need an environment that provides housing related support
• you have not been honest, or only been partially honest, about any aspect of your referral at interview

If you have previously accessed supported housing and accrued rent arrears or displayed behaviour which have led to you being evicted from a service, or you chose to leave a service, you will be expected to actively engage in an action plan to address these previous issues before being referred again for a supported housing service. For example, this may include you being expected to engage in a rent repayment plan or with drug and/or alcohol support services.