29 October 2012 | By Rhiannon Bury

The care and support specialised housing fund, launched today by minister for care Norman Lamb, marks the first time that the Homes and Communities Agency has run such a programme on behalf of the Department of Health.

The HCA will administer £240 million of the fund. A further £60 million will be administered by the Greater London Authority.

The fund is split into two phases, focusing on affordable housing in phase one, and market sale homes in a later second phase and run over five years from 2013/14. It will be managed as a separate programme to the HCA’s £1.8 billion affordable homes programme.

The fund relies on councils and developers to work with health providers to identify land and resources to develop homes.

Pat Ritchie, chief executive of the HCA, said: ‘This fund recognises the benefits which high quality housing opportunities for both older and disabled people can have in allowing them to remain independent for longer – raising their quality of life and helping reduce the burden on the health service.

‘We are already delivering around 10 per cent of our affordable homes programme for supported housing and housing for older people, and the fund is a good opportunity to build on this.’

The deadline for phase one bids is noon on 18 January 2013.

David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: ‘This money could help the housing sector build up to 12,000 new specialist homes for older and disabled people.

‘But to make this £300 million investment truly effective we need access to land. If the NHS frees up its unused land for development, it would boost the number of these much-needed specialist homes.’

http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/care/