No Home, No Care: The UK Housing Crisis Blocking Care Packages

What happens when a care package is approved... but there's no home for it to go into?

In this vital conversation, I’m joined by Ben Gyles, co-founder of Urban Nest Property Solutions and The Housing Partnership Forum, to tackle the growing gap between housing and care. Ben shares his personal connection to council housing, his work supporting care providers and councils, and how housing shortages and visa changes are creating a chokehold on care delivery across the UK.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher or caregiver, this episode sheds light on how stable, trauma-informed housing isn’t just about bricks and mortar – it’s about creating safety, healing and dignity for those we support.

🔑 Three Key Messages:

1. Care Needs a Roof: Housing is not just a backdrop to care delivery – it’s a fundamental part of it. Without suitable homes, care packages are delayed, disjointed or completely unworkable.

2. The System is Reacting, Not Planning: Providers, councils, and landlords are trapped in reactive firefighting. We need better communication, forward planning and strategic housing pipelines to meet future care needs.

3. Homes Can Heal: Trauma-informed environments matter. With insight from his partner, therapist Silvia Costa, Ben shares how thoughtful design can support mental wellbeing and long-term recovery.

⏱️ Timestamps (Chapters):

• 00:00 – What happens when care is approved, but there's nowhere to go?

• 02:00 – Delayed discharge and the £2bn cost of nowhere-to-go patients

• 05:00 – The impact of housing shortages on small care providers

• 10:00 – The missing link: communication breakdown between councils, landlords and providers

• 20:00 – How Urban Nest is bridging the gap with property pipelines

• 25:00 – Visa changes, staff shortages and housing as recruitment infrastructure

• 30:00 – How trauma-informed design transforms housing into healing

• 35:00 – Advice for caregivers and advocates struggling with housing support

• 40:00 – Behaviour, stability and the ripple effect of insecure housing on families and schools

• 45:00 – What councils and government could change today

• 50:00 – The Housing Partnership Forum – a new space for collaboration

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• The Housing Partnership Forum: Join on LinkedIn

• Ben & Silvia on LinkedIn: Ben and Silvia

• Your Local Guardian Article: Urban Nest launched to save Croydon's forgotten homes

• Targeting the Positive (Book) by Andy Baker: Find it on Amazon

🎯 Why Listen to This Episode?

If you work in care, education or support families in any way, this episode will challenge how you think about housing. Ben Gyles offers a fresh, solutions-focused perspective on how to overcome housing barriers in care – from planning better homes to understanding trauma-informed design. It’s a conversation packed with heart, real-world examples, and practical hope.

🔗 Connect with Us: 📲 Instagram: @AbleTraining 📲 LinkedIn: Able Training 📲 TikTok: @AbleToCarePodcast 🌐 Website:AbleTraining