Starts at Home Day: Why supported housing matters

Posted on 29 August 2025

When Paul’s* arthritis worsened and gardening work dried up, he lost his income and his home. With nowhere else to go, he began living in his van. Life felt unsafe and uncertain, and he didn’t know where to turn.

Through a referral, Southdown supported Paul into temporary accommodation, helping him manage debt and access benefits. With the guidance of his support officer, he was later able to bid successfully for a Southdown tenancy.

Now living in his own flat, Paul says the difference is life changing. Having a safe and secure home has lifted the weight of constant worry and given him the stability to start looking ahead. With support tailored to his needs, he feels valued as a person, not a number. Southdown’s support, he moved first into temporary accommodation and then into his own flat. “It feels safe. I can come back home, close the door, lock it and feel safe. And I can be me. I feel I can only be me when I’m at home,” he says.

For thousands like Paul, having a home isn’t just about four walls, it’s about safety, freedom, and the chance to breathe again.

It all starts at home

Paul’s story is just one example of why supported housing matters. A home is the foundation of a healthy, safe, and happy life. For many, having a place to live is something easily taken for granted, but for thousands of people, it can be the hardest thing to secure. As a community, we only move forward when everyone has the stability they need to build their lives, and homes are at the very heart of that foundation. Supported housing makes this possible for people across England who need support to live independently. But after years of funding cuts, these homes are at risk of closure.

Research shows that without supported housing:

• NHS hospital beds would face 110,000 more days of delayed discharge, and
• 41,000 more people would face homelessness.

Starts at Home Day is our opportunity to show the government and decision makers why supported housing must be protected, and why we need action to #SaveOurSupportedHousing.

Southdown’s vision

For over 50 years, Southdown has been committed to making sure people across Sussex have not only a roof over their head, but also the support to live well. Every tenancy we provide is backed by personalised support, shaped around the individual.

We know that housing is more than bricks and mortar. It is the foundation for recovery, stability, and opportunity. We see every day the life-changing difference supported housing makes, but we also see the harm when it isn’t there: people pushed into homelessness, isolation, poor health, and despair.

Matt Gough, our Chief Operating Officer (COO) shares:
“Providing supported housing is an incredibly successful way of bringing stability into the lives of people who, for many reasons, are struggling to find secure accommodation that provides them with safety whilst they build their futures.
Supported housing is also a key preventative measure, reducing the likelihood of people having to interact with other services such as those provided by the NHS. However, as a provision that requires significant investment by providers, government funding needs to be appropriate, predictable, and mirror the stability providers are trying to support people to achieve in their lives.”

A call to action

Southdown is proud to support Starts at Home Day and to stand with partners across the country calling for investment in supported housing. We know from experience that when people have a safe, supported home, they can begin to thrive.

But without urgent action, too many people face an uncertain future. We call on government, local authorities, and sector partners to work together to protect and grow supported housing for the next generation.

Because it all starts at home.

*We have changed the name of our resident as per their wish to not be named.