Housing with Care Fund evaluation: summary

The evaluation aims to review the delivery of the HCF and its impacts to inform future policy and programme development around the housing with support and care agenda.

This mid evaluation report details the Theory of Change and Evaluation Framework developed, following the scoping fieldwork.

The evaluation aims contributed to through this initial work include:

• how effective has the HCF been in relation to its objectives, governance, and administration?
• how far has the HCF supported aging populations to live independently with care and support at home?
• to what extent has the HCF ensured that accommodation provided for vulnerable groups is as close as possible to their home?
• how has HCF integrated with the Regional Integration Fund (RIF) and the Integration and Rebalancing Fund (IRCF), and to what extent has the HCF contributed to changes in models of care?

The initial work involved:

• a desk-based, systematic, structured evidence review of policy and programme documentation
• a desk-based review of programme monitoring data
• scoping discussions with 4 Welsh Government officials and 24 representatives from across the 7 Regional Partnership Boards (RPBs), and one Registered Social Landlord (RSL)
• a Theory of Change workshop with Welsh Government officials

As well as informing a theory of change and an evaluation framework for successor funds to the HCF, the initial research found (where a specific participant type is not mentioned, the view was reported consistently):

• delivery and overall spend varied across regions, although all allocations were ultimately spent
• funding has been primarily directed towards Children's Residential and Extra Care provision
• interviewees perceived strong alignment between the HCF and Welsh Government policy ambitions and legislative frameworks
• views among RPBs on the overall capital funding landscape were mixed; the differences between the HCF’s model of programme administration, and that of the ICF, has had benefits in terms of consistency and fairness, but also has created bottlenecks
• some RPBs expressed concern that Welsh Government’s HCF guidance has remained unchanged, despite them providing feedback and suggested revisions
• capital delivery timescales were not thought to be well aligned with annual funding cycles
• the lack of revenue funding to support new HCF-funded assets was considered to be a recurring challenge
• a main barrier has been limited central and regional staff capacity to develop and implement an outcomes monitoring framework for the fund
• RSLs highlighted the substantial benefits the fund has delivered for individuals; these include enabling people to live independently for longer within their homes and communities, while reducing the need for more intensive health and social care support

The report also includes recommendations for the future of the scheme.

Report author: Nia Bryer, Heledd Bebb, Prof Mark Llewellyn, Dr Daniel Bowers and Dr Nyle Davies

Views expressed in this report are those of the researchers and not necessarily those of the Welsh Government.

For further information please contact:

Social Research and Information Division
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

Email: HousingResearchTeam@gov.wales 

Social research number: 90/2026