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This paper argues that there is a need for an independent specialist women's refuge sector to address the housing needs of BMER (Black, minority ethnic and refugee) women. It will consider barriers to equal access that BMER women have and how these could be resolved by providing specialist services tailored to their specific needs. Specifically, the paper shows how such services, attuned to concerns of race, class, and gender, could positively help resolve additional barriers confronting BMER women due to housing inequality. The primary research, based on an analysis of questionnaire responses and a focus group with service users, offers a snapshot of the impact that the lack of access to housing provision has for BMER women including increasing their social exclusion and vulnerability if need remains unmet. A case is made for a strengthened independent specialist sector to deal with the housing needs of women fleeing domestic violence. Key recommendations are identified on how housing policies, practices and service provision can be strengthened through the implementation of a specialist sector.

This paper argues that there is a need for a healthy independent specialist women's refuge sector to address the housing needs of black minority ethnic and refugee (BMER) women. It will consider barriers to equal access that BMER women have and how they could be addressed by specialist services. The paper examines how housing inequality creates additional barriers for BMER women fleeing domestic violence, and provides arguments for the way in which specialist services address inequality from the perspective of race, class and gender. The primary research provides a snapshot of the impact that the lack of access to provision has for BMER women. A case is made for a strengthened independent specialist sector as a way to address the housing needs of women who flee domestic violence. Key recommendations are identified on how housing policies, practices and service provision can be strengthened.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a supply-side review of policies and practices that impact on the shortage of supply in the contemporary specialist housing market for older people in the UK.

The review is based on a review of academic literature, policy documents, reports and other sources.

There is a critical conflict between the key social purpose of specialist housing (i.e. living independent of socially provided care) and the values that underpin and ultimately limit the quantity of units in both the social and private sector. In the social sector, government policies prohibit rather than encourage local authorities and housing associations from increasing specialist housing stock. The nature of leasehold tenures in the private sector tends to commodify not only housing stock but also those who use it and therefore acts to instrumentalise housing supply in favour of the profit motive and the focus on the person and her or his needs is largely ignored.

While the shortage of specialist housing is well known, this paper is unique in that it provides a comprehensive and critical supply-side review of the factors that have created such conditions.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how social housing providers could respond to residents living with dementia in non-specialist housing.

A research framework was developed from published material and used to assess how dementia friendly a national housing provider was, and what could be different. Electronic surveys were completed by 209 members of staff; semi-structured interviews with 18 senior managers and an external contractor; a customer focus group with five residents. A literature review and telephone interviews with housing providers identified current areas of innovation and good practice which informed the research recommendations.

There are ways a non-specialist social housing provider can develop dementia friendly services through developing a customer focused approach, staff awareness raising and training, and through working collaboratively with specialist statutory and non-statutory services across health and social care. These have the potential to impact positively on the quality of life of residents with dementia or caring for people with dementia.

Social housing providers should be considering their older residents, and how they can design and develop services to respond to specific needs.

There is limited understanding of how mainstream housing providers could and should develop an offer for their residents living with dementia. This research provides an assessment approach and has developed ideas about what this offer could look like.

Housing and support are essential if people misusing drugs and alcohol are to address their substance misuse and their other physical, mental and emotional health needs. If their housing and related support needs are not addressed at each stage of the treatment journey, they are much less likely to enter or remain in treatment. This article outlines the policy context, discusses barriers in service development, explores the role of housing with support for substance users and gives examples of imaginative commissioning and provision. It is based on recent work for the Department of Health Care Services Improvement Partnership.

Prolonged life expectancy coupled with the retirement of the “post war baby boomers” has resulted in an exponential rise in the 50+ population, peaking in the UK in 2035. Recognising that longevity is often not accompanied by health, mobility or quality of life, the “shifting the balance of care” agenda promotes an integrated care model based around the resident’s home. This study aims to explore the adaptability of the existing social housing stock and how it relates to the requirements and preferences of the ageing population.

This research focuses at the local authority level, with the lead author embedded within North Ayrshire Council to establish the evidence base for their housing strategy for older people. Following a constructivist grounded theory approach, key themes emerge through consultation with a working group, wider stakeholder groups and an iterative review of policy and literature. These themes were explored through an evidence base of available health and housing datasets, and a questionnaire survey of 1,500+ people aged 50+ exploring housing preferences and needs for older people; six focus groups split between residents and social housing providers and stakeholder interviews.

The scale and acute nature of the problem facing social housing providers is highlighted and reveals an alarming information gap within housing data sets, exposing an in-balance between the supply and demand and realising the cost implications for adapting the housing stock.

It is important to resolve this information gap to develop the social housing stock to respond to preferences and establish solutions appropriate for its residents.

This work strengthens calls for a cohesive and integrated housing, health and social care system and exposes the challenge of delivering this at a local authority level.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how residualisation is experienced across a supported housing provider in an English county. The analysis is in three parts: firstly, it focuses on organisational provision, including impacts of change on decisions on market entry and exit; secondly, it reviews evidence on service provision and the adaptations services are making to reflect the changing pressures of the sector; finally, it considers the impacts on service delivery and the experiences of those that rely on the provision.

The analysis uses interview data across the organisation, together with material from the UK Government department consultation (2017) and a UK Parliamentary Select Committee inquiry (2017) to examine the impacts across the different tiers of service, including the day-to-day experience of residualised services for those that deliver and receive that support.

The paper concludes that residualisation is a direct outcome of the neoliberalisation of welfare states, introducing limits to state involvement and funding, a greater emphasis on quasi-market involvement in the sector and a shifting of responsibility from government to individuals.

It not only demonstrates the impacts of reducing state support on the supported housing sector but also emphasises the importance of residualisation as a conceptual framework applicable to the wider implications of austerity and neoliberal ideology.

This paper demonstrates the way that the burden of responsibility is being shifted away from the public provision of support and onto the individuals. This can be problematic for the individuals who are vulnerable as a result of their economic medical or social circumstances.

The retreat of the state from supported housing is both a political change and an austerity-led change. This article provides insight from a single-supported housing provider. In so doing, it illustrates the pressure such an organisation is under.

This paper provides a unique insight from the perspective of all levels of a supported housing service provider, combined with the analysis of government consultation and parliamentary inquiry.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of housing and housing support services in working with systems of self-directed support (SDS). The paper draws upon findings from an evaluation and follow up study of three SDS Test Sites in Scotland and wider research.

The evaluation of the SDS Test Sites took place in 2009-2011 with a follow up study in 2011-2012. Methods included a literature review; an analysis of secondary data on the use of SDS in Scotland; interviews with key stakeholders; learning sets in the three areas; 30 depth individual case studies and a large-scale stakeholder event prior to finalising the report. These data are drawn upon to reflect on the implications for housing providers and practitioners.

The interviews revealed that some SDS users had housing and related support needs, such as to prevent or resolve homelessness, to facilitate resettlement, to prevent hospital admissions, to access supported accommodation or to move from shared to independent housing. For some people flexible housing support seemed to enhance community living, also well-informed independent advocacy could make a difference to outcomes. While there was policy support for the Test Sites, it was notable that linkages between agencies at strategic level were limited, with neither housing nor health services greatly involved in strategic planning. Training, alongside liaison and partnerships, may help to broaden SDS.

While housing and related support needs and services were not specifically investigated in this evaluation, data suggest that the contribution of housing services may be both under-developed and under-researched in the context of SDS. There are indications that SDS may act as a catalyst for improving housing opportunities provided that collaboration between housing and care services is maximised.

This paper suggests approaches that may improve and consolidate the role of housing in achieving SDS objectives of maximising user control and choice, improving outcomes and sustaining ordinary living.

This paper considers the less charted territory of the implications of SDS for the role of housing services. While drawing primarily on recent research in Scotland the themes raised will have wider relevance to housing and care services generally.

This paper aims to present an overview of the current state of evidence on the effect of housing circumstances, and housing‐related interventions, on adult mental health and well‐being. It covers the entire range of health from chronic illness to positive thriving, and both individual and community‐level/public health.

The paper is based upon a purposive review, commissioned originally for the UK Department of Health; and therefore is selective in giving priority to research relevant to public policy considerations, and to the UK context. Research with a variety of methodological foundations is considered, where robust enough by its own standards.

The available evidence gives conditional support to policies accentuating empowerment at individual and community levels; early intervention; locality or place‐based interventions; and integrated working practice. The complexity of methodological issues emerges as a key challenge for research in this field, and for the prospect of evidence‐based national policy. Meanwhile local knowledge and interpretation of data in context may be more reliable than context‐blind studies.

Where “hard evidence” is unavailable, reports of the lived experience of individuals and in communities remain a legitimate basis for policy and commissioning.

This appears to be the first attempt in print to cover such a wide canvas in one overview.

Older people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness have diverse and varied needs. Their needs are not the same as those of either younger homeless people or older people who already have secure and appropriate housing. This article explains the problems and proposes cost‐effective solutions for commissioners and providers.