In November 2019, CHASM Honorary Fellow, Thea Raisbeck published report on Exempt Accommodation ‘Exempt from Responsibility?’ for Spring Housing Association and held two lively and oversubscribed launch events in Birmingham and London.
As a result of this report and the associated events there is now increased dialogue around ending social injustice in exempt accommodation within multiple forums and across a range of platforms:
The Independent newspaper article on the exempt accommodation report
Inside Housing news article ‘Regulator blocked exempt accommodation providers from registering’
The Housing Podcast ‘What is exempt accommodation and why is it a problem?’
Spring Housing Association’s Group Chief Executive, Dominic Bradley, has written an insightful blog on what has happened since the report was published. He highlights good practice emerging in the sector, such as the ‘Quality Standards’ developed and designed by Changing Futures Together, part of the Birmingham Voluntary Sector Council. Spring Housing have also made positive contributions and have been commissioned by Birmingham City Council to co-produce a 'Statement of Rights’ with residents from the sector, setting out their own expectations for their housing and support.
Dominic also refers back to the recommendations from the Exempt Accommodation Report. He makes it clear that ‘we want to see a shift from crisis to prevention. We also want to shift some of the funding related to exempt accommodation, so there is greater investment in oversight and rigour. We do not want to continue a system where a homeless person is a £250-pound-a-week commodity to a commercially-minded provider’.
CHASM is proud to be collaborating with Spring Housing Association on this transformative piece of research and practice. The Director of CHASM, Professor Andy Lymer, said 'Through the Exempt Accommodation Report and events, we can see that real progress continues to be made to improve housing standards and safety for the thousands of vulnerable people living within the exempt accommodation sector'.
Read the blog: Report launched: Now what?
Read the report: Exempt from Responsibility? Ending Social Injustice in Exempt Accommodation
Visit the Spring Housing Association website and the CHASM website to find our more about their work.