Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023

4 Licensing regulations

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision under which a person having control of, or managing, supported exempt accommodation—

(a) that is within section 12(2), and

(b) that is located in a district that is designated for the purposes of the regulations,

must obtain and comply with a licence granted by the local housing authority for the district.

(2) If, at the end of the period of one year beginning with the day on which this Act is passed, the power in subsection (1) is yet to be exercised, the Secretary of State must publish, in such manner as the Secretary of State thinks fit, a report setting out the progress that has been made towards doing so.

(3) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision under which a person having control of, or managing, supported exempt accommodation—

(a) that is not within section 12(2), and

(b) that is located in a district that is designated for the purposes of the regulations,

must obtain and comply with a licence granted by the local housing authority for the district.

(4) Regulations under subsection (1) or (3)—

(a) must include provision under which a local housing authority may designate its district for the purposes of the regulations,

(b) may include provision requiring a local authority to designate its district for the purposes of the regulations if conditions specified in the regulations are met, and

(c) may include provision under which the Secretary of State may designate, or revoke a designation of, a local housing authority’s district for the purposes of the regulations.

(5) The provision that may be made by virtue of subsection (4)(c) includes provision for the Secretary of State to designate the district of every local housing authority in England.

(6) Regulations under subsection (1) or (3) must be made with a view to securing that National Supported Housing Standards (if any) are met.

(7) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

(8) In this Act—

• “the licensing authority” means the local housing authority for a district designated for the purposes of licensing regulations;

• “licensing regulations” means regulations under subsection (1) or (3).