The subject matter of this book is supported housing, where accommodation and support are linked together in some way. There are many different ways in which these elements can be linked together and the aim of this chapter is to briefly review the main ways and to begin an assessment of the issues that have emerged in relation to their use. An assessment of the impact of the different models of supported housing on the well-being of residents cannot be undertaken at this general level because of the different factors that may impact on different individuals and groups. Therefore, the options for different people will be discussed in more detail in later chapters that refer to particular groups identified by professionals as in need of supported housing. This chapter sets the general context for the chapters that follow.

The discussion begins with a brief review of the main factors involved in both the accommodation and support elements of supported housing. Accommodation may vary in its form and facilities, and the support provided may vary considerably in its nature and objectives. Also, the way that the two are linked may be different and may have a bearing on the service provided and the experience of residents.

The main focus of the chapter is a description of the different forms of supported housing and a general discussion of the factors that may influence the well-being of the people who live in them. The discussion is framed by the categorisation of different supported housing forms into four groups: shared living; own housing with linked communal facilities; core and cluster models; and domiciliary models. The examples used in the discussion of these categories are the ones that most often feature in housing and support provision in Britain and Sweden, which are the two countries considered later in the book. They were also chosen because they have particular resonance for the groups considered in more detail in later chapters, such as older people, homeless people and those with health problems. The choice of examples was also based on providing a reasonable coverage of the possible ways of linking housing and support.