Homes That Support: Making Supported Accommodation a Priority in Long-Term Housing Plans

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the launch of the HACT Hive Roadmap a new national plan designed to help housing associations and their partners work more closely together to tackle the big challenges facing our sector.

The event brought together leaders from across housing, care, and support including chief executives, frontline providers, and supply chain partners all united by a shared goal: to improve the lives of the people we serve.

At the heart of the roadmap is a simple but powerful idea: we can achieve more by working together. Whether it’s improving our homes, supporting our staff, or making better use of data, the roadmap sets out six key areas where collaboration can make a real difference:

• Listening to Residents – Making sure services are shaped by the people who use them.

• Supporting Our Workforce – Investing in the people who deliver housing and care every day.

• Smarter Procurement – Using our collective buying power to get better value and outcomes.

• Caring for Our Homes – Planning long-term investment in safe, sustainable, and high-quality housing.

• Backing Smaller Providers – Ensuring innovation includes all voices, not just the biggest players.

• Using Data Better – Sharing tools and insights to improve decision-making and transparency.

The roadmap also introduces UK HIVE, a new centre for innovation in social housing. This space will allow organisations to test new ideas, learn from one another, and scale up what works, a vital step toward building a sector that is agile, inclusive, and future-ready.

For our residents, this means a stronger focus on quality, accountability, and co-production. For our board and partners, it offers a clear framework for how we can align with national best practice while staying true to our local mission.

As we continue to develop our own Home and Support Standard, review our property portfolio, and strengthen our resident voice, the Hive Roadmap provides both inspiration and practical tools to guide our next steps.

This is about more than strategy it’s about shared purpose. And I’m proud that we’re part of a sector that’s choosing to face the future together.