Nearly £135 million has been spent on housing vulnerable people in Sheffield over the past five years – new figures have shown.
Exempt Social Housing aims to provide shelter to people including those who are homeless or victims of domestic abuse with providers paid directly by the local authority.
These accommodation claims are passed on to housing providers who shelter these people. They allow them to gain funds from the government and provide shelter and support to tenants with mental health problems, substance abuse issues, and alcoholism, among other issues.
Douglas Johnson, chair of Sheffield Council’s Housing Policy Committee, said: “People end up in this type of accommodation through a number of routes. The one unifying feature is that many of these residents need support and are vulnerable without the right support being in place.”
There are 81 registered housing providers in Sheffield who claim the exempt accommodation housing benefit. A Freedom of Information request by Sheffield Wire has revealed the amounts spent by the city council on exempt accommodation..
Over the last five years, the authority has spent nearly £135 million on exempt accommodation claims.
Green Bridge Community Housing has received the biggest claim since 2020, with over £9 million claimed in 2024-25. Overall, the housing provider has claimed over £25 million since 2020.
Sheffield City Council has spent £42 million on providing housing benefits under exempt living accommodation claims in 2024-25.
The claim for Housing Benefit under exempt accommodation has risen in Sheffield over the years. There were 3,210 claims in 2020-21, before it dropped down to 2,636 in 2022-23. However, there has been a sharp increase since then, with the number of claims reaching 3,641 and 3,995 respectively in the last two financial years.
While the council provides funding under these claims, they do not regulate or check if the quality of the housing and other benefits are well maintained.
The authority also said it was unaware of exactly how many individual Sheffield residents are currently living in exempt accommodation, but added that there were 2,418 housing benefit claims for such properties.
The average rent for exempt accommodation in Sheffield is £287 per week with the lowest being £70 and the highest £589.
The authority also revealed that it does not have one single service that oversees the provision of exempt accommodation in Sheffield.
A spokesperson said: “The council does not currently have the power to oversee these services or to ensure that standards are upheld.
“However, where the council commissions exempt accommodation, the appropriate procurement and contract management, the council ensures the relevant standards are upheld.”
The council said it was not aware of any complaints being made by tenants in exempt accommodations.
The spokesperson also added that it was not responsible for the provision of all exempt accommodation in its area.
