Housing support enables people to live at home as independently as possible by maintaining and developing their life skills and social networks. Housing support has been described as the ‘glue’ that helps make a wider model of support work.

In 2021, SFHA published a document outlining models of housing with care and support to inform key priorities for social renewal in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three years on, with reflections and learning from the pandemic, models of housing support and supported housing have continued to evolve.

The Housing Support Enabling Unit has launched this week an updated paper outlining the diverse models of housing support and supported housing provided across Scotland.

The paper outlines models and examples of visiting support, Housing First, transitional supported housing, and longer-term supported and sheltered housing.

The beginning of the new financial year is an important time for housing support providers as services are commissioned and contracts are renegotiated. Using examples from different providers, this paper demonstrates that while the features and service model of housing support may vary based on a person’s individual needs and circumstances, all housing support services play a role in supporting people to stay safe and well at home.

What is Housing Support?: Models of Housing Support and Supported Housing