Supported Housing People runs the Exempt Accommodation Project. The Project operates as a collaborative community of good practice, bringing together registered providers, supported housing providers, and local authorities to improve quality, compliance, and value for money across the sector. In addition it is a housing benefit subsidy recovery mechanism for both supported exempt accommodation and temporary accommodation, saving councils tens of millions every year.
This programme is designed to address the structural challenges of exempt accommodation by aligning providers around shared standards, evidence‑based practice, and transparent delivery models. It supports partners to meet regulatory expectations while ensuring residents receive supportive, outcomes‑focused housing
A Community of Practice
At the heart of the project is a practical, peer‑led community of practice between registered providers and supported housing providers. The community works together to:
- Share proven operating models and compliance frameworks
- Strengthen governance, service delivery, and outcomes measurement
- Improve consistency and quality across exempt accommodation
- Reduce risk for providers and local authorities alike
This collaborative approach moves the sector away from fragmented delivery towards a coordinated, accountable system that works for residents and commissioners.
Partnership with Local Councils
The project works closely with local councils and housing benefit teams, providing expertise and robust assurance models that support:
- Accurate assessment of exempt accommodation eligibility
- Improved evidence for “reasonable” housing benefit claims
- Earlier identification of non‑compliant or poor‑quality provision
- Reduced administrative burden on council teams
By improving provider practice and evidencing genuine care, support and supervision, the programme helps councils protect public funds while maintaining access to essential supported housing.
Delivering Significant Public Value
Through improved compliance, prevention of error and misuse, and better decision‑making, the programme supports local authorities to save tens of millions of pounds each year in housing benefit subsidy reclaim, while maintaining lawful and appropriate payments where provision meets requirements.
Outcomes That Matter
The Exempt Accommodation Improvement Programme delivers:
- Higher‑quality supported housing for residents
- Reduced financial and regulatory risk for providers
- Stronger assurance for councils and the regulator
- Measurable savings to the public purse through housing benefit subsidy reclaim on both temporary accommodation (TA) and supported exempt accommodation (SEA)
- A more sustainable and credible exempt accommodation sector