Health Secretary targeted for failing people with learning difficulties and autism – More investment needed in accommodation for people with learning difficulties and autism
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has launched a legal challenge against the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care over the repeated failure to move people with learning disabilities and autism into appropriate accommodation. They say that more than 2,000 people with learning difficulties and autism are detained in secure hospitals. they say this amounts to a systemic failure to protect the right to a private and family life, and right to live free from inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The press release related to this challenge is available here. You might also want to read the report of the Joint select Committee on this topic.
The listed specialist supported housing funds – Civitas Social Housing and Triple Point Social Housing REIT – could help address this issue if they had additional funds to invest in new accommodation. A few commentators have been overly negative on these funds since they launched. Civitas is now more than three years old. Over that time, while some of the housing associations that rent its properties have experienced growing pains, Civitas has collected its rents, paid its dividends and increased its NAV. Its 9.9% discount and Triple Point’s 6.4% discount look to be unjustified to us. If these narrowed, the companies could raise additional money and fund the construction/conversion of new specialist accommodation.
The people that need this accommodation have much better lives and better health outcomes when they are moved from institutions into specialist supported housing. It costs the government a lot less as well. You can read more about this in our notes on Civitas.
CSH / SOHO : Health Secretary targeted for failing people with learning difficulties and autism