Dame Carol Black’s 2019–2021 independent review of drugs highlighted the importance of safe, suitable and stable housing in the treatment and recovery journey. In 2022, through the Housing Support Grant (HSG), the former UK government provided up to £53m across three years to help local authorities (LAs) address the housing needs of people who use alcohol and/or other drugs. During this period 28 LAs received the HSG as a pilot to gather learning from the programme for future policy development. This funding aligns with the ongoing implementation of the former UK government’s ten-year drug strategy From Harm to Hope, which included ambitions to improve access to safe and suitable housing for people who use alcohol and/or other drugs. The HSG was designed to support people who use alcohol and/or other drugs, irrespective of whether they were receiving structured drug or alcohol treatment.
This evaluation aimed to understand how the HSG has been implemented by reviewing 28 plans and examining three case study sites in England. The research focused on whether the HSG was implemented as intended, the barriers and facilitators encountered in its implementation, and the influence of wider and local context on delivery. It also aimed to explore what intervention types within the HSG worked well, for whom and why, as well as the impact on health outcomes for individuals in treatment and recovery services and any unexpected outcomes.
This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND research reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.
