10 January , 2023
The cost of living crisis in 2023—and why Supported Housing will be more critical
The cost of living crisis in 2023—and why Supported Housing will be more critical
The realities of a cost of living crisis are only hitting harder this New Year.
Soaring energy bills. Dropping wages. Higher tax bills, food bills, and a tighter labour market.
While this upheaval is affecting everyone—it’s vulnerable households that inevitably feel it most.
Eye-opening stats for 2023
In a report by think-tank Resolution Foundation—who surveyed 10,470 adults across the UK in December 2022—the numbers paint a troubling picture of how things seem to be escalating—especially for low-income families.
11% said they went hungry because of a lack of money.
Compared to the 8% pre-COVID, now 24% say they cannot afford to fix their broken fridge or buy a new one.
Meanwhile: all the way to April, the average household income is set to drop by 3%.
And what does this all equate to?
More people will be pushed to the edge of a financial crisis.
The government’s response has been a release of bandaids: payments to pensioners and those with disabilities to help with their energy bills. A £900 payment to help low-income families.
But one-off, short term solutions are precisely that: just one-off. Just short-term. An anti-recipe—if you will—for an aid to this building crisis through 2023.
Why Support Housing will be even more critical
It’s the social care and housing support sector that precisely do the “long-term” support.
Helping house the homeless, provide support services to vulnerable families and individuals—it’s these providers that take in those struggling and being on the brink of collapse.
They have the systems in place to deliver quality support that’s needed. Their staff are the ones who bring the security. They understand the dire circumstances and states of mind of the vulnerable.
They have long been the council’s guardians, the safety-net for the helpless.
Which brings us to a fact: they will be a big part of a long-term solution.
As the government invests to build resilience for this worsening cost of living crisis, The supported housing sector should be investing in it.
A sector that not only be offer the most immediate and long-term help—but also that will need the extra support as even more people rely on their services.
But: There’s a Social Care Problem
“Over a decade of sustained cuts and driving down prices to an unsustainable level, brings us to where we are today,” says Andrew van Doorn, the chief executive of HACT.
Despite its crucial role, this decade has seen supported housing cut by 80%.
The staffing crisis means there’s a critical shortage of key support workers – without whom the quality of services will inevitably deteriorate & managers, heads, and directors will take on more burden.
“It needs substantial investment”, explains van Doorn. ” It needs recognition and respect. Those who need social care deserve so much better.”
And in view of this cost of living crisis that is looming worse than every this 2023 – the urgency for action stands more important than ever.
If you’re facing critical support staff shortages—we’re here to help
The problem of shortage of staff in the sector isn’t a lack of able labor.
When someone can earn more working in Tescos than caring for vulnerable people in a demanding environment — the industry’s high turnover comes as no surprise.
But the brunt is taken on those who need more help, not less.
Are you a service provider dealing with staff absences and vacancies?
For service managers: we take away the headache of having to juggle finding emergency cover with all the other one hundred things you have to take care of.
For your people: we provide extensively trained, competent support staff, so they receive the quality of care they need and deserve.