The National Housing Federation has today welcomed the call by the CLG Select Committee for the protection of housing-related services for the most vulnerable, funded through the Supporting People programme.

The committee, which reported on its inquiry into the Supporting People programme, said that CLG must show how much money it provides for the programme within each local area-based grant, and that local authorities should then show how the grant had been spent.

The committee also endorsed many of the concerns raised by the Federation about the delivery of the programme, following the Government's decision to remove the ring fence from the Supporting People grant.


Federation Assistant Director Helen Williams, who appeared before the committee in June, said: "We are delighted that the committee endorsed our call that the allocation of the Supporting People grant must be clear for all to see – and that local authorities must account for how they spend the money.

"CLG would do well to listen to these recommendations and show the leadership demanded by the committee. The department must now also make an early commitment to keeping Supporting People as a named pot."

Ms Williams praised the committee for highlighting the benefits of the programme, which has invested £1.6bn a year in housing-related support and other services to vulnerable groups. She said the committee was right to highlight in his report concerns about the way services are currently being commissioned.

(CD/BMcc)