Housing for People with Disabilities: Policy to Practice. Lillian Buchanan Disability Federation of Ireland

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1 Housing for People with Disabilities: Policy to Practice Lillian Buchanan Disability Federation of Ireland

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4 Outline Who are we talking about? Policy goals Hypothesis Policy measures What happened during the boom and after? Strategy What s in it? Recommendations

5 Who are we talking about 218,000 people who report substantial disabilities who are from every community 92% in private housing Relatively fewer in PRS Relatively more in social housing 8% in communal establishments Over 2,800 beds in Mental Health Community Residences Almost 4,000 in congregated settings Over 2,000 homeless persons many of whom have disabling conditions

6 What s the issue? Disability is a life risk without adequate private insurance i.e., anticipate! The right to be a full citizen now people beginning to practice it People with disabilities are diverse in needs and aspirations, i.e. person centred approach Not a one agency challenge

7 Policy Goals To facilitate access, for people with disabilities, to the appropriate range of housing and related support services, delivered in an integrated and sustainable manner, which promotes equality of opportunity, individual choice and independent living [Vision, National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability ] Nine strategic aims e.g. To promote and mainstream equality of access to the full range of housing options available suited to individual and household need Underlining these people of and in the community

8 Irish Policy Measures The National Disability Strategy Capital & revenue funding Legislation domestic & international treaties Regulation Collaboration & protocols Support for people and advocates Strategies & Implementation Plans National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities

9 Irish experience Fact: Our policy approach does not adopt a human rights legal framework Fact: Strategic Plan not operational Hypothesis: 1. Progressing policy commitments is hugely dependent on a conducive environment. 2. Easier to stick with special projects than to mainstream 3. When the environment turns sour, progress vulnerable Question: Can we recoup now?

10 Boom time Some action, especially spending, but also missed opportunities Stuck with Capital Assistance Scheme and special needs approach for disabled HSE funded more Personal Assistant hours, but what monitoring of the impact? Irish housing supply grew by 329,357 units during , but at best the design was only visitable, not even life time design

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12 The crunch Major capital and revenue spending cuts National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities, from 2006 to 2011 Focus on community living by HSE Austerity squeeze on community supports Continued resistance to entitlement to live independently

13 The National Strategy Stakeholder input Partnership approach Comprehensive Within available resources Legal entitlements don t feature And no Implementation Plan yet Local authorities, housing associations, advocacy groups are key implementers

14 Local Experience People with mobility impairments in Dublin City with housing need Getting onto the social housing waiting list Waiting on that list, especially given shrinking sources of social housing supply Cold shoulder for many of those not already getting personal supports But examples of effective joint working for solutions

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16 Anticipating the Strategy s Implementation Plan Disability proofing national housing and personal support initiatives Local Housing & Disability Steering Groups Extent & nature of current & anticipated social housing need Housing statements for applicants Identifying and developing potential sources of housing supply Linking with wider community Protecting public funding for housing supply & personal supports

17 Questions Have we got a handle on the nature and extent of housing need amongst people with disabilities? How can we make sure, when programmes/ projects start, that people with disabilities are involved? What is the most pressing barrier to living ordinary lives that we practitioners can do something about?

18 Some Recommendations Implement the National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities Procedures that factor in disability from the outset in a systematic way Proactive voluntary disability organisations to assist people through difficult application processes, to monitor housing policy implementation, and to advocate for better outcomes

19 Recommendations cont d Establish operational back up such as Strategy s proposed local authority based steering committees Develop stronger accessible housing standards Legal backup such as ratification of the UN Convention and Housing Act amendment to recognise right to independent living STOP thinking of people with disabilities as special people, just as people who need housing

20 Making opportunities for people to be ordinary We never know how high we are Till we are called to rise And then, if we are true to plan Our statures touch the skies Emily Dickinson federation.ie federation.ie