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Starts at Home Day 2021

Starts at Home Day 2021

We’re highlighting the difference that supported housing makes to people as part of today’s Starts at Home Day (3 September).

The Starts at Home campaign, now in its fifth year and led by the National Housing Federation (www.housing.org.uk), recognises how supported housing helps hundreds of thousands of people each year to regain their independence and confidence.

Supported housing is the umbrella name for housing services that provide safe environments and vital personal support and care services to help people to live as independently as possible. It includes suitable homes and appropriate services for a wide range of people including older people, people with a learning disability and autistic people, people with mental health related needs, vulnerable young people and people who’ve experienced homelessness.

We’re a member of Greater Manchester Housing Providers (GMHP), a partnership of 24 housing providers. Together, we offer a wide range of sheltered and extra care accommodation, refuges for domestic violence victims, homelessness shelters and housing services for those with disabilities. Registered providers in Greater Manchester are estimated to provide supported housing to more than 25,000 households.

GMHP supports the three main goals of Starts at Home, which is a national day of action to:

  1. Show the value of supported housing.
  2. Recognise the services and contribution that supported housing staff have made to people’s lives, especially during the pandemic.
  3. Secure long term political support and national funding for supported housing services, so we can continue to help those who need it to settle into and thrive in their tenancy.

The experience of supporting people through the COVID-19 pandemic over the last 18 months has further shown the value of care and support services, and the difference that having a safe and secure place to live can make to people’s lives.

The pandemic continues to create new needs within communities and increase demand for support housing as more people are affected by the social, economic and health impacts of COVID-19.

Like other not for profit social housing providers across the country, we’ll continue to do all that we can and work closely with specialist partner organisations to meet local people’s needs and help them to flourish. However, national funding is needed to ensure that people who need extra support will always have a safe home that meets their needs.

The Starts at Home campaign seeks the long term national funding commitment necessary to ensure we can keep running supported housing services that transform lives.

Click or tap the tiles below to read local examples of how vital supported housing services can be.

Many thanks to all our colleagues– within Bolton at Home, across our group and working for partner organisations- who play such a vital role in ensuring people have a safe home that meets their needs and live with more independence and confidence.

Read more and get involved on social media using the #StartsAtHome hashtag.

Thanks for your time and support.