Housing and the National Disability Strategy

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Housing and the National Disability Strategy

• Eithne Fitzgerald
• National Disability Authority

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Outline of presentation

• Key housing issues for people with disabilities
• What the National Disability Strategy says
• Where next?

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Key issues for people with disabilities

• Getting a home
• Keeping a home
• Adapting a home
• Supports for independent living
• Housing/health nexus
• Accessible housing
• Sustainable communities
• Joining the dots

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Disability and housing tenure
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Percentage of people with disabilities in
residential centres
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Disability in later life

• Most own their own homes
• Provide supports to allow people remain in their
  own homes
• Timely arrangements to adapt the homes of people
  who acquire a disability
• Ensure homes are suitable to return to from
  hospital

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Disabled adults living with parents
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Living with disability all your life

• Needs of growing child
• Young adults a home of their own?
• Cant afford to buy on welfare incomes.
• Just 7 of new build is social housing
• Supports for independent living, including
  personal assistance
• Provision of housing for people with long-term
  care needs
• Matching provision of care support to provision
  of housing

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Mental health and housing

• Vision for Change community focus
• What about housing needs?
• Support to vulnerable people to retain a stable
  home
• Community supports
• Pathways back from homelessness

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National Disability Strategy

• Joined-up action on disability
• Disability is everyones business
• Key components
• Disability Act 2005
• Statutory Sectoral Plans on disability
• Multi-annual investment programme
• Citizen Information (Personal Advocacy) Bill

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Disability Act 2005 and Housing

• Mainstream public services must serve people with
  disabilities
• Statutory needs assessment will lead to referrals
  to housing authorities (s.12)
• Statutory Sectoral Plan by D/Environment
• Plan must detail co-operation between HSE and
  housing authorities on housing for people with
  disabilities

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Sectoral Plan housing

• Framework - Building Sustainable Communities
• New Housing Strategy for disability, by 2009
• New protocols to be developed with HSE
• Strategic assessments of housing need
• Referral from disability Needs Assessments
• Support costs, social housing projects
• Review provision of accommodation and letting
  priority schemes re people with disabilities
• Review of Disabled Persons Grant, out 2006

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Proposed agenda for disability Housing Strategy

• Tailored housing and housing supports
• People with significant disabilities, mental
  illness
• New protocols for interagency co-operation re
  special needs to be developed
• Combined approach to accommodation, care and
  support

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Sectoral Plan accessibility

• Review of Part M of Building Regulations
• public consultation early 2007
• Disability Access Certificates (apartments)
• Injunctions against occupation if no cert
• Reviews of Development Plan, Development
  Management, Site Development guidelines
• Lifetime adaptable housing where practical and
  appropriate

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What are lifetime adaptable homes

• gentle access from the street and car park space
• accessible catches, plugs, doorknobs and controls
• wide doorways, adequate circulation
• wheelchair adaptable bathroom/WC
• provision for future downstairs bedroom, shower,
  and stairlift
• NDA recommends all once-off, all social housing
  10 of other housing totalling 40 of new build
  stock - to meet full Lifetime Adaptable standard
• All new homes must have core elements of these
  standards

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What happens next

• By end 2007, Building Control Bill enacted,
  review of physical standards, site works
• Housing Forum group meets to develop new Housing
  Strategy for disability
• Vision for Change report to be rolled out
• HSE accommodation role on way out
• Agree inter-agency protocols
• Getting it right at local level