HAC6137 East London Apartments

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has the joint 7th highest number of individuals sleeping rough, the fourth highest incidence of serious mental illness and one of the highest rates of substance misuse treatment demand across London. The Council's Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029 sets out the aims to prevent homelessness, reduce the use of Temporary Accommodation by instead providing access to the right accommodation. In addition, under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and the Care Act 2014 legislation the Council has duties to prevent and provide early intervention to support residents to live more independently.

The recommissioning of East London Apartments a specialist supported housing accommodation contract provides an opportunity to build on the current work to better integrate community services within this key support service and provides a cost-effective alternative for vulnerable adults through person-centred tailored support, promoting independence and reducing crisis situations. Consequently, preventing and delaying the need for higher cost care. The service provides 31 one-bed flats to single homeless residents and plays a key role in the wider single homeless hostel pathway.

The service acts as a "final offer" for people who have otherwise exhausted other housing options, whether due to eviction for anti-social behaviour, rent arrears or provider refusal due to presenting risks arising from the complexity of the service user's needs. The service is exclusively utilised Tower Hamlets Housing Options Team. The current contract for East London Apartments is expiring on 31st March 2026.

The service comprises a 31-bed specialist supported housing accommodation for vulnerable Tower Hamlets residents with a history of rough sleeping and complex needs. This service is entirely grant funded by central government with the current grant funding ending on 31st March 2026. Due to the changes to Local Government funding, notification of the funding is expected to be received in December 2025 post the Governments spending review.

Should there be notification from central government of further grant funding in December 2025, due to the current contract ending on 31st March 2026, there will not be sufficient time to competitively procure the service and have a new contract awarded for 1st April 2026.