Specialist and Supported Housing Strategy 2023 to 2033

As part of the delivery of this strategy, the council wants to work closely with a range of providers of supported housing. The council's Specialist and Supported Housing Supplementary Planning Document also sets out our expectations of developers and providers of supported and accessible homes.

We are seeking innovative approaches from our partners, for example, delivering a range of housing sizes, types and tenures that will be appropriate to the needs of various groups in the community, in line with our strategic aims.

The council would like:

• to be involved at an early stage in considerations and discussions regarding the reconfiguration or disposal of existing supported accommodation provision
• to agree priority notification and nomination rights on existing and new specialist and supported accommodation within the borough
• you to sign up to our DPS framework so we can ensure your organisation has all of the relevant policies and procedures in place and we can be assured that you will deliver quality accommodation and/or support
• to understand whether you own and/or lease housing for the purposes of providing supported accommodation and to understand your funding model. Where housing is leased, we want to be satisfied that this model is sustainable and in the interests of the intended residents
• providers to develop proposals for specialist and supported accommodation which are effectively tailored to meet local need and to consult with local communities prior to and during the implementation of these proposals
• supported housing providers who are not currently operating in Gateshead to get in touch with us and talk through their plans for development of supported or specialist housing in the borough so we can advise on what our needs are and how you might be able to meet them
• supported housing providers to help to contribute to the wider health and wellbeing of all residents, and to work with the council and others to support community safety through their specialist and supported accommodation services
• you to be willing to work with other partners and agencies to help facilitate the delivery of intergenerational and diverse communities

The council will undertake ongoing market engagement to:

• build strong relationships with supported housing providers
• stimulate and encourage the local supported housing market
• work with supported housing providers in a collaborative way
• understand how the council can work with supported housing providers to manage market risks and challenges

The council welcomes enquiries from supported housing providers, including from providers who are new to Gateshead.