- Funding will test the impact of providing additional housing
support to improve recovery from addiction
- Strengthens commitment to reducing drug use, and improving
treatment outcomes, as part of the government’s 10-year
drug strategy
People in alcohol and drug recovery will soon have access to
housing support, helping to break the cycle of addiction and
improve health outcomes.
Up to £53 million will be
allocated to 28 local authorities across all regions of
England with the greatest need.
The funding will allow for local authorities to create new
housing support schemes tailored to meet local need.
People in treatment for drug and alcohol dependence are often
easier to support if their housing needs are addressed at the
same time, as there is a strong link between having a stable home
and improved treatment outcomes.
Examples of how the funding will be spent include:
- specialist housing caseworkers supporting people in drug and
alcohol treatment to access and maintain safe and suitable
housing
- helping people to create sustainable and long-term recovery
by maintaining independent living
Health and Social Care Secretary, , said:
We’re supporting those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction
by addressing the link between improved treatment outcomes and a
stable home.
This £53 million funding, targeted to local authorities with the
greatest need, will support the government’s ambition to reduce
overall drug use to a historic 30-year low.
Health Minister, Neil O’Brien, said:
Alcohol and drug dependence can have a devastating impact on the
lives of people, their families and wider society. It is
essential to break this cycle of addiction.
The £53 million housing support funding will play a key role in
testing how housing can help break this cycle, improve recovery
and help people to live happier and healthier lives.
In Manchester, specialist housing caseworkers will work out of 3
prevention hubs to be established across the city, providing a
rapid response to housing issues that may affect people in
substance misuse treatment securing or maintaining accommodation
over the long term.
In Lancashire, staff from across housing, drug and alcohol and
health services will receive a programme of training to develop
skills in substance misuse and housing related support and to
will create a joined-up system across other organisations and
public services, offering an improved experience for people
experiencing homelessness.
In Wigan, peer mentors with past experience of drug and alcohol
treatment will provide support to people struggling to maintain
independent living to sustain their accommodation and improve
recovery outcomes.
These projects will also expand our evidence base on treatment
and recovery, with learnings helping to inform and develop future
policy, in partnership with the Department for Levelling Up,
Housing and Communities.
Director of Addictions and Inclusion, Rosanna O’Connor, said:
The need for better housing and employment support for people
dependent on drugs and alcohol is a core part of the current
10-year national drugs strategy. We have known, for too long,
that people in drug treatment with housing problems do less well
in their recovery. What we know less about is how to address
these problems. For the first time, dedicated funding is
available to improve housing support.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are working
closely with 28 local authorities up until 2025 to test and learn
from specific approaches to housing support for this population,
and government will take the learning from these areas forward as
part of its work to implement the drugs strategy.
This supports recommendations from Dame Carol Black’s independent
review, outlining housing support as a key strand needed to
improve the effectiveness of drug prevention and treatment to
help more people recover from dependence.
It will support the government’s commitment to its 10-year drug
strategy, which sets out the ambition to reduce overall use
towards a historic 30-year low, getting people into treatment and
deterring recreational drug use.
This aspect of the wider strategy is part of a total package of
£780 million to rebuild drug treatment and recovery services,
including for young people and offenders, with new commissioning
standards to drive transparency and consistency.
Dame Carol Black statement:
Addressing the housing-related needs of people in treatment with
drug and alcohol dependence was a critical part of my Independent
Review of Drugs.
I am pleased that government is working with 28 local authorities
across England to test the effectiveness of housing support
interventions over the next 3 years.
Learning from these areas will inform and drive forward the
10-year drugs strategy, making the case for safe and supportive
housing in recovery from addiction.
Housing Minister, said:
We know that safe and supportive accommodation plays a pivotal
role in providing stability for vulnerable people.
That’s why these housing support schemes will make an invaluable
difference to improving people’s chances of recovery and
preventing homelessness.
