Redbridge Council's Housing Committee has begun developing a new Supported Housing Strategy to address the growing demand for services across the borough. The strategy, which is a statutory requirement under the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023, aims to ensure residents have access to safe, high-quality homes and personalised support.
During a meeting on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, officers presented a draft strategy that categorises supported housing needs into three main areas: short-term and transitional housing for those experiencing homelessness or in need of temporary accommodation; support for working-age disabled adults, including those with mental health issues, learning disabilities, or autism; and provision for older people, such as sheltered housing and extra care facilities.
Andrew Billany, Director of Housing, and Ben Tomlinson, Head of Housing Strategy, Quality and Assurance, highlighted that the borough's population is projected to increase by 2.2% by 2030 and 7.5% by 2040, driven by migration and increased longevity. This demographic shift is expected to place greater demand on supported housing services, with short-term homelessness pressures projected to rise sharply and older-age needs increasing substantially over the longer term. Specific figures for projected increases in support needs among homeless households between 2025-2030 and for people aged 65+ between 2026-2040 were presented visually. The officers also noted that the needs assessment is still being completed, and the council hopes to commission a specialist provider to conduct a thorough assessment, including ward-level data on supply and demand projected over 5, 10, and 15 years.
Redbridge is also a net importer
of supported housing placements, which can lead to residents being disconnected from their support networks. To address this, the strategy prioritises ensuring the right housing in the right places.
This means providing supported housing locally, close to residents' homes, community support networks, and existing support systems. The council's preference is to accommodate people within the borough and they are reluctant to accept placements from other boroughs. The strategy will explore how to maximise or optimise supported housing to keep provision in the borough and also not to over-provide so that we then become a magnet to people from other boroughs who bring their sort of complex cases to our door.
The ultimate goal is for accommodation to be Stable and connected
so that residents' health, relationships, and community links are sustained.
The proposed strategy is built around four key objectives: ensuring the right housing in the right places,
promoting independence, prevention and positive move-on,
focusing on health, wellbeing and inclusion,
and fostering partnerships, quality and co-production.
Councillors engaged in a detailed discussion, raising concerns about the current supply and demand figures, the complexity of setting up supported housing, and the potential impact of national policy changes. Questions were raised about ward-level data, the balance between local and out-of-borough demand, and the prevention of homelessness. The council is seeking ward-level data to understand local pressure and gaps in the service.
Specifically, they aim to determine current and projected demand for supported housing broken down by ward, as well as current supply and future planned developments. This data will inform the Right housing in the right places
principle, ensuring that no particular ward is overburdened with it
and that everybody has a range of options for supported housing settings close to their own home, where they live, their community support network.
Officers outlined a multi-channel approach for the strategy's consultation, including online platforms, focus groups, and targeted outreach, to ensure a wide range of voices are heard. A workshop is planned for November to further refine the consultation materials and the strategy itself. The strategy has a statutory publication deadline of March 31, 2027. The proposed timeline includes seeking Cabinet permission for formal consultation in October 2026, followed by a 12-week formal consultation period. The final strategy is expected to be considered in early 2027, with a final approval from Cabinet shortly thereafter. The next Housing Committee meeting is scheduled for 13 January 2027.
Public reports pack 02nd-Sep-2026 19.00 Housing Committee.pdf Agenda frontsheet 02nd-Sep-2026 19.00 Housing Committee.pdf
