The Right Living Space

Issued on November 1 2007

Summary

View summary

Download

PDF Format - 9307.73k

Social Policy Series November 2007
Disability Federation of Ireland

A Citizens Information Board/ Disability Federation of Ireland Social Policy Report
Prepared by Michael Browne
November 2007

Acknowledgements

The Citizens Information Board and Disability Federation of Ireland wish to thank sincerely the following who assisted in the carrying out of the study - the people who gave their time and expertise when participating in the focus groups and other consultation meetings and those who supplied case material, the voluntary/community organisations that completed survey questionnaires, Citizens Information Services that responded to the Social Policy Alert, members of the Study Advisory Committee and members of the DFI Housing Sub-Group. Agencies that participated in the study are listed in Appendix 4. The role of the Study Steering Committee in guiding the study through its various stages is gratefully acknowledged. Helpful comments and insights on a draft of the report were provided by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the HSE, the National Disability Authority and the Centre for Housing Research.

Special thanks are due to the many people with disabilities who made time available to share their stories with the researchers and who supplied background information which is essential to the study. Finally, the work of Michael Browne, the Researcher and Author of this report is gratefully acknowledged.

This Study was funded by the Citizens Information Board as part of its Social Policy Research Series.

Preface

This report points to a considerable gap between policy aspirations and principles and experiences on the ground of both people with disabilities and voluntary/community organisations working on their behalf. There is clearly a hidden housing need among the population of people with disabilities in Ireland. Many people with disabilities have not benefited from the social progress over recent decades in that their accommodation options and choices have not widened to any significant extent.

The housing options available to people with disabilities generally fall far short of those available to the general population. Limited understanding of disability and the needs and aspirations of people with disabilities on the part of society generally may result in inadequate policy responses to the housing needs of people with disabilities. There may be an assumption on the part of society that a person with a disability will be looked after by family, or by a partner, which determines how his/her accommodation needs are assessed and addressed.

Ensuring that adequate, reasonably priced accommodation is within everybody''s reach is one of the most effective ways of combating social exclusion. While the relationship between housing and social inclusion is complex, suitable housing is widely regarded as an essential and fundamental social inclusion measure in that poor or inadequate housing impacts negatively on people''s mental and physical health. In practice, some valuable housing initiatives have been developed in Ireland which promote social inclusion for people with disabilities. However, this is not comprehensive or reliably replicated in each circumstance where there is a housing need.

Accessibility continues to be a major problem for people with physical and sensory disabilities in relation to both the availability of accessible accommodation and the suitability of the built environment. A range of housing options need to be available to people with disabilities to cater for a diversity of needs and to provide for choice. These should include standard housing (by both local authorities and voluntary housing associations), supported/sheltered/clustered housing and innovative provision of residential care for those who cannot be accommodated in any other settings. This will require more integrated and mixed social housing generally, different models of community living for those currently living in community group homes and, crucially, additional supports for independent living.

Ensuring that accessibility and supports are provided for people with disabilities living in the private, owner-occupied sector is crucial. Further the issue of accessibility needs to be dealt with in the context of universal housing design to cater for lifetime adaptability, particularly as most disability is acquired over the life cycle and people (including people with disabilities) are living longer.

The development of the Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities offers a timely and significant opportunity to put the housing and accommodation needs of people with disabilities centre stage. A shift in thinking from a position where the housing needs of people with disabilities are viewed primarily in terms of ''special needs'' housing to a mainstream approach is needed to allow for the diverse accommodation needs of different categories of people with disabilities to be addressed. This will undoubtedly be resource intensive and will almost certainly require a corresponding shift in our social priorities.

Citizens Information Board
Disability Federation of Ireland

Executive Summary

1. Focus of Report

This report is based on a joint study between the Citizens Information Board (formerly Comhairle) and Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI). The focus of the report is on the housing and accommodation1 needs of people with disabilities as experienced by people with disabilities and their families as well as by voluntary and community organisations working with them.

A three-pronged methodological approach was used in the study to gain insight into the social realities and experiences of people with disabilities and their families - a survey of voluntary/community organisations, focus groups (involving people with disabilities and voluntary/community organisation representatives) and identification of case examples.

There was wide consultation with people with disabilities and with a diverse group of organisations working in the disability field. Some of the organisations consulted are housing service providers, others provide complementary support services and for some the main focus is on advocacy on behalf of their members. Feedback based on the experience of users of Citizens Information Services (CIS) throughout the country was an integral part of the study.

The report highlights key factors which impact on the ability of people with disabilities to access accommodation appropriate to their needs. It points to a need for new thinking which would address the accommodation and related support needs of people with disabilities in the context of social inclusiveness, equality of access and the provision of accessible and integrated living environments. This approach would be significantly different to the approach which sees the accommodation needs of people with disabilities being met primarily in the context of ''special needs housing''.

The study findings confirm and expand on many issues relating to the accommodation needs of people with disabilities that have been identified in recent years by both the voluntary/community disability sector and by Government. Areas where existing policies have fallen short are highlighted in the report. The main challenges for the emerging housing policy agenda in respect of people with disabilities are outlined and key pointers for policy-makers seeking to address these challenges are provided.

2. Housing Policy Context

The current housing policy context for people with disabilities is underpinned by a life-cycle approach, person-centred planning and the promotion of independent living, all of which inform the protocols and structures being put in place for the implementation of the requirements of the Disability Act 2005. These principles are reflected in the commitments set out in the social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, in the most recent Government policy statement on housing, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, and in the new framework for social housing needs assessment currently being put in place.

The report explores how the issues identified in the study might translate into policy and practice and, specifically, how they might be addressed in the Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities to be drawn up by 2009. A number of recommendations are included in this regard which, it is suggested, should form part of the deliberations of the working group drawing up the Housing Strategy.

1 The terms housing and accommodation are used interchangeably throughout the report in order to reflect the complexity of need that exists across all categories of people with disabilities.

The study points to a considerable gap between policy aspirations and principles and experiences on the ground. While the research shows that, without doubt, valuable initiatives have been developed and that in some cases a good level of provision occurs, this is not comprehensive or reliably replicated in every circumstance where there is a housing need.

3. Key Issues Identified

3.1 People with disabilities with a housing need

There is a shortage of social housing generally and community-based accommodation for people with different types of disability, particularly in relation to accessible housing and the availability of appropriate supports to allow people to live independently in their own homes. There is a considerable hidden housing need in that many people with disabilities of one type or another are living in accommodation not of their choosing. The following are identified as categories of people who are likely to have a housing/accommodation need that is not, or only partially, being met at present:

adults in family homes when they wish to and/or would be better off living elsewhere
some people in long stay residential settings
some people in community group homes
people awaiting discharge from hospital
people without accommodation
some people in nursing homes, for example, people with an acquired brain injury, people with MS
people with Alzheimer''s or other dementia who are not in appropriately designed accommodation.

3.2 Limited housing options

In practice the housing options for many people with disabilities are limited because they frequently have specific, and often individual, design, location and support requirements. They are, therefore, at a considerable disadvantage in relation to people who do not have a disability. While some of the difficulties identified in the study relate to the specific needs of different categories of people with disabilities and to individual needs, many arise because of the lack of a strategic framework to support the provision of tailored housing and housing supports generally for people with disabilities.

3.3 Inadequate housing needs assessment

Provision for housing needs assessment has not to date catered adequately or inclusively for the needs of people with disabilities, either individually or collectively. Needs assessment by Local Authorities has been inadequate in terms of identifying numbers or nature of need. There is a lack of clarity and transparency from service providers on how housing need and related support services are measured. In cases where a housing support need is identified, this may not always be delivered because of resource constraints.

3.4 Supports for independent living

A key factor in enabling people with higher levels of dependency to live in community settings is the availability of supports for independent living, including Personal Assistant (PA), home support and home help. The general picture that emerges from the study is that, while there are some comprehensive support packages for independent living in place, supports for independent living are under-resourced. There is also a lack of clarity about entitlements and options arising from different models of delivery of supports for independent living in different parts of the country.

3.5 Accessibility

There is insufficient attention given in Ireland to accessibility/lifetime adaptability aspects of housing design. Existing Building Regulations (Part M) provisions (currently under review) provide only for houses to be ''visitable'' and indicate minimum dimensions for various facilities such as toilets and door widths. However, often a building will be compliant with regulations but not ''liveable in'' by a proportion of the population.

3.6 Good practice

There are clearly some innovations and good practice in accommodating people with disabilities in existence at local level. These include responses by local authorities and joint initiatives involving a local authority, a voluntary/community organisation and the HSE. Such initiatives generally involve strong inter-agency collaboration, the provision of supports to allow for optimum independent living and options for progression to more independent accommodation. Other initiatives incorporate a mixed housing element.

4. Addressing the Issues

4.1 A Continuum of Housing Provision

Addressing the housing needs of people with disabilities will require a significant shift in focus from viewing people with disabilities primarily as people requiring ''special needs'' housing to one which sees their accommodation needs being addressed by a continuum of housing provision to cater for a wide range of individual circumstances. This means:

further innovative models of provision for all categories of people with disabilities
more use of general social housing for people with disabilities
addressing needs within mainstream housing policy as opposed to segregated housing for people with disabilities
the provision of a much wider range of housing options for people with disabilities than is currently the case
additional transitional sheltered/supported accommodation with progression options readily available for all categories of people with disabilities.

4.2 Funding

A comprehensive housing/accommodation policy for people with disabilities will be resource intensive if it is to facilitate best practice in terms of housing options, integrated supports and accessibility. There is a need for an integrated response from the relevant funding authorities and stakeholders - Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, HSE and Local Authorities, to better facilitate the delivery of support/care services in the context of housing provision.

4.3 Housing needs assessment

The commitment to the development and implementation of a new and systematic approach to housing needs assessment and the recent introduction of new protocols for inter-agency collaboration are important steps towards inclusive needs assessment. The detailed working of these initiatives will need to be examined in the formulation of the National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities.

4.4 Effective joint working

Effective joint working requires that all stakeholders (people with disabilities, voluntary/community organisations, local authorities and the HSE) are involved in identifying needs and in considering the various ways of addressing those needs. Voluntary/community organisations have a centrally important role to play in identifying unmet need and in facilitating innovative responses. The delivery of an integrated housing/key supports programme to allow a person with a disability to live independently in his/her community should be at the core of the Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities.

4.5 Person-centred planning

The systematic adoption of a person-centred planning approach to identifying and meeting the accommodation needs of people with disabilities is essential. The policy aspiration of providing packages of individually tailored supports based on a case management approach needs to be translated into practice on the ground.

4.6 Accessibility

As ageing populations are acquiring disabilities and people with disabilities are living much longer, housing design in the longer term must be based on lifetime adaptability. It is essential that the new provision for adaptation grants, introduced in 2007, caters for all those in need of adaptations as a result of an acquired disability.

5. Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities: Proposals

A number of proposals are put forward for consideration in the formulation of the Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities, which is being developed as part of the implementation of Towards 2016. These proposals are aimed at ensuring transparency, standardisation and equality of access nationwide. The Housing Strategy must be underpinned by adequate resources in the short, medium and longer term and the proposals put forward should be systematically addressed with a view to their phased implementation as resources permit.

5.1 Housing and related support needs assessment

Assessment of housing need should include protocols for systematic consultation with individuals and, where appropriate, independent advocates to ensure that people''s wishes are understood and accommodated as far as possible. This assessment should explore the appropriate mix of accommodation, supports and design to cater for optimum independent living. Local authorities should give a person with a disability a housing services statement (akin to the service statement required for health and education services in the Independent Needs Assessment required under Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005) setting out the type of housing and the supports s/he requires and the timeline for their delivery.

5.2 Enhancing supports for independent living

There should be significantly increased provision of housing supports for people with disabilities and more provision for different models of support at both personal and community infrastructure levels. Funding for house adaptations should reflect the level of need and funding levels should be reviewed every two years in the context of market prices and existing demand.

5.3 Improving inter-agency collaboration

A community-based case management approach should be applied to identifying and meeting the housing and related support needs of people with disabilities. A stronger national policy framework is required to ensure that local authorities and voluntary housing associations at local level work more collaboratively to specifically target and plan for the needs of all categories of people with disabilities.

5.4 Addressing the accessibility issue for people with physical and sensory disabilities

There should be a general target for fully accessible and lifetime adaptable social housing based on best international practice. Sufficient resources should be provided to ensure the strict enforcement of Part M of the Building Regulations following the introduction of new regulations and the strengthening of enforcement mechanisms.

5.5 Strengthening information, advice and advocacy

All service delivery agencies relating to people with disabilities should adopt a stronger proactive approach to information provision based on the principles of quality service delivery and on best practice. Statutory agencies and the voluntary/community sector should work together to ensure that people with a disability requiring housing and related supports have access to independent advocacy support as needed.

Research Findings

Survey of Voluntary/Community Organisations

Despite progress in the area of policies for people with disabilities, the responses to the questionnaires appear to indicate a substantial discrepancy between the aspirations and principles of Irish social policy instruments in respect of housing and accommodation provision for people with disabilities and social realities as experienced by the respondents.
Stated principles of housing policy, especially person-centred planning, supports for independent living and accessibility, were reported by survey respondents as being aspirational in many of the instances of housing need among people with disabilities encountered by these organisations on an ongoing basis.
Respondents pointed to the limited options for owning their own homes available to the people with disabilities they encounter in their day to day work. People with disabilities depend to a large extent on local authority or other social housing and respondents stated that in their experience suitable housing for people with disabilities was in short supply.
Low incomes/borderline poverty levels were identified by respondents as crucial factors in preventing access to adequate housing by people with disabilities.
Respondents felt that there was a substantial underestimation by local authorities of housing needs of people with disabilities.
Respondents pointed to the lack of a standardised national, transparent housing needs assessment for people with disabilities.
Respondents stated that in their experience landlords in the private housing sector were often reluctant to accept people with disabilities or rent supplement/rent accommodation scheme tenants. Also, in the private rented sector, accessible dwellings are in short supply.
Respondents reported that people with disabilities known to them are currently living in what they deem to be unsuitable or inappropriate accommodation.
Emergency accommodation and sheltered/supported accommodation for people with disabilities were stated by respondents to be in short supply.
Respondents expressed the view that people with disabilities experience difficulties in managing transitions from residential/hospital settings to living in the community because of lack of suitable housing resources and related supports and poor levels of collaboration between housing and health authorities.
While respondents were aware of instances of people with disabilities being very successfully housed by local authorities in appropriately designed accommodation, they also identified shortfalls in local authority housing provision for people with disabilities. Respondents pointed to waiting lists which did not adequately reflect levels of housing need amongst this group. Issues of design and construction of local authority housing were also identified as problematic in relation to catering for disability over the life cycle.
While the voluntary housing sector was seen by respondents as initiators of innovative housing provision for people with disabilities, access to such schemes was limited due to short supply and uneven geographical spread.
Budgetary constraints, inability to purchase sites on the open market, lack of design expertise and lack of adequate support from relevant statutory authorities were identified by respondents as factors impeding the role played by the voluntary housing sector in the provision of housing for people with disabilities.
Respondents identified the crucial role played by community group homes and sheltered/ supported housing schemes in providing long term accommodation, particularly for people with intellectual disabilities. However, they noted the scarcity of such facilities in some geographical areas and only limited availability relative to demand in other locations. The respondents identified significant lack of resources in this vital area of provision for people with disabilities.
Respondents highlighted problems their clients had encountered in relation to the Disabled Person''s Grant, including maximum grant levels being inadequate to cover the cost of adaptations, problems locating builders to undertake the work, lack of availability of occupational therapists and significant delays in processing applications by local authorities. (A new Housing Adaptations Grant Scheme for people with a disability commenced in November 2007).
Supports for independent living and community based services were identified by respondents as key components in meeting the housing needs of people with disabilities. These involve a wide spectrum of services from personal assistants (PAs) to home help services and on-call support services. Again, respondents reported these services to be in short supply relative to need and to be very vulnerable to cutbacks as agencies experienced budgetary constraints. Respondents also noted the dearth of social work, occupational therapy and physiotherapy services which they considered vital to an adequate response to the housing and accommodation needs of persons with disabilities.
Respondents identified six core issues vital to an adequate response to the housing needs of people with disabilities:
a person-centred planning approach with people with disabilities at the centre of the planning process
community supports for independent living
high levels of inter-agency collaboration
choice of housing options
enforcing high levels of design and accessibility standards
information, advice and advocacy as a key component to ensuring equality of access to housing services commensurate with need.

Focus Groups

There was a strong consensus across the five focus groups that there is considerable hidden housing need amongst people with disabilities. According to focus group participants, many people with disabilities currently live in situations not of their choice, frequently with their family of origin, because of the very limited housing options available to them.
Perceived social attitudes to people with disabilities were identified by participants as a key factor in shaping responses to the housing needs of people with disabilities. Focus group members stated strongly that society has not to date fully subscribed to the right of people with disabilities to live independent and autonomous lives, form separate household units, engage in family formation and carry out productive work. Attitudes still prevailed of expecting people with disabilities to be cared for in families of origin and by partners.
Focus group participants expressed the view that failure to provide adequate housing options for people with disabilities undermined their independence and caused severe stress on personal and family relationships.
Focus group members pointed to the urgent need for training for public service personnel in respect of housing needs assessment for people with disabilities.
Accessibility was identified as a core concern which needs to be urgently addressed. Current building regulations fall short of delivering fully habitable housing for people with disabilities. The built environment continues to pose significant problems of accessibility.
Focus group members expressed concern regarding the operation of the Disabled Person''s Grant in relation to waiting time, amount of grant, difficulty for people with disabilities in making up shortfall between grant and actual building cost and in accessing builders to carry out the work.
A significant absence of a co-ordinated approach to meeting the housing needs of people with disabilities was identified by focus group members. The involvement of a number of statutory agencies makes it difficult for integrated packages of housing provision and support to be put in place. Focus group members pointed to the need for a co-ordinated approach and for significant improvement in inter-agency planning and communication.
Focus group members identified a number of areas where local authorities were providing clear information about eligibility criteria and prioritisation for social housing in respect of people with disabilities and suggested that these instances could serve as examples of ''best practice''.
Information, advice and advocacy services were identified by focus group participants as crucial in meeting the housing needs of people with disabilities. Members felt that access to good quality information varied widely from housing service providers. The role of advocacy services was identified as a key element in ensuring that the housing needs of people with disabilities were adequately met.
Focus group participants identified seven key priorities of an adequate policy response to the housing needs of people with disabilities:
- equality of access for all people with disabilities
- extending housing options and choices
- a life-cycle approach to planning social housing
- a commitment to the concept of independent living as a cornerstone of public policy
- a commitment to person-centred planning with the individual person with a disability at the centre of the planning process and consultation carried out accordingly
- enshrinement of the concept of mainstreaming in the heart of housing policy to ensure mixed housing, mixed communities, choice of tenure, housing style, size and accessibility
- more consideration given to reasonably priced housing, shared ownership and loans/mortgages for those on low incomes.

Chapter 1 Background

1.1 Introduction

This report is based on a joint study between the Citizens Information Board (formerly Comhairle) and the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI). The Citizens Information Board has a particular role in developing information, advice and advocacy services for people with disabilities and is also the agency responsible for the implementation of a Personal Advocacy Service for people with disabilities. DFI is the national support organisation and advocate for over 150 voluntary organisations in Ireland that provide services to people covering all areas of disability and disabling conditions. DFI works to ensure that Irish society is inclusive of people with disabilities so that they can exercise their civil, social and human rights.

The focus of the study is on the housing and accommodation2 needs of people with disabilities as experienced by people themselves, their families and the voluntary and community organisations working with them. It should be noted at the outset that the population of people with disabilities is diverse and, consequently, their housing and accommodation needs are complex and wide-ranging.

The need for the study was identified by Citizens Information Services and organisations represented on DFI''s Housing Sub-Group that had noted the ongoing and emerging accommodation difficulties experienced by people with disabilities. Although these difficulties have been acknowledged in the current Partnership Agreement, Towards 2016, there has been relatively little systematic reporting of barriers to people with disabilities getting appropriate accommodation.

This study seeks to capture the actual experiences of people with disabilities and their families in accessing the appropriate accommodation and community supports necessary for independent living. It also seeks to document the experience of voluntary service providers trying to deliver suitable accommodation and housing. Attention is focused on the main accommodation difficulties experienced by people with disabilities and on ways of addressing these difficulties. The report juxtaposes policies and practice with the perceptions and experience of people on the ground. It concentrates on a range of housing aspects that directly and indirectly affect people''s lives. It is hoped that the report will inform the National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities to be developed by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG) by 2009.

1.2 Research Objectives

The study seeks to identify the barriers facing people with disabilities in accessing and retaining appropriate accommodation and explores how these barriers might be broken down. The research objectives were as follows:

Identify the accommodation difficulties experienced by different categories of people with disabilities
Document and analyse the experiences of people with disabilities and the people who work with them in accessing appropriate accommodation
Contrast the experiences of those consulted with existing housing policy for people with disabilities
Identify good practice in accommodation provision for different categories of people with disabilities
Identify policy issues to enable stakeholders to contribute to the emerging policy agenda.

2 The terms housing and accommodation are used interchangeably throughout the report in order to reflect the complexity of need that exists across all categories of people with disabilities.

1.3 People with Disabilities

Policies aimed at meeting the accommodation needs of people with disabilities need to recognise the diversity of that population. The Disability Act 2005 (see Appendix 1) states that "''disability'', in relation to a person, means a substantial restriction in the capacity of the person to carry on a profession, business or occupation in the State or to participate in social or cultural life in the State by reason of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment" (Section 2.1).

The 2006 Census reports that 394, 000 (9.3% of the population) have disabilities. At present, information about people with disabilities and their housing situations is incomplete. In June 2006, a total of 25,692 people under the age of 66 years were registered on the National Physical and Sensory Disability Database3. The total number of people with intellectual disabilities registered on the National Intellectual Disability Database4 in 2006 was 25,518. Data quoted in a 2007 Health Research Board Report (Doherty et al. 2007) for the Mental Health Commission shows that in 2004 there were 3,065 people in community residential facilities for people with mental health difficulties and 1,755 people in public psychiatric hospitals (774 being long-stay).

People''s disability status is not fixed and the incidence of disability increases with age, with most disability being acquired over the life cycle. The gradual or sudden onset of disability frequently necessitates changes, sometimes major, to people''s accommodation requirements.

1.4 Policy Context

The range of government documents that deal with housing for people with disabilities are referred to in Chapter 2. The underlying theme of these documents is that people with disabilities, like the rest of the population, have a number of accommodation options available to them, including privately owned, privately rented and social housing. However, they frequently have specific and often individual support, design and location requirements. This means that in practice their options are restricted and they are thus at a considerable disadvantage in relation to people who do not have a disability. In order to live in the community, many people with disabilities require community-based support services which, ideally, should form part of their accommodation provision. As people are ''de-institutionalised'' and move into community settings, appropriate accommodation provision is critical.

The social partnership agreement Towards 2016 notes that

"people with a disability often have fewer choices in terms of providing for their housing and accommodation needs" (p. 68).

Reference is made to the need to

"support the provision of tailored housing and housing support to people with disabilities"

and in this context to

"have particular regard to adults with significant disabilities and those who experience mental illness" (p. 68).

The NESC (2004) Report, Housing in Ireland, refers to "the lack of a strategic framework to support the provision of tailored housing and housing supports for people with disabilities" (NESC 2004:157).

Placement in a residential institution has traditionally been considered the only option for a person with additional support needs who could not continue to live at home. However, this has been fundamentally challenged by the emergence of new thinking internationally and in Ireland on independent living by people with disabilities. The availability of other support services, such as personal assistance, home support, sheltered/supported housing, has resulted in more people with a disability being able to continue to live in their own home or in mainstream housing settings. Voluntary and community organisations have played an increasingly important role in developing innovative approaches to meet the housing and accommodation needs of people with disabilities. However, it is generally acknowledged that there continue to be fundamental obstacles to independent living by people with disabilities because of a shortfall in supports.

3 This is a voluntary self-reporting database to facilitate service planning.
4 The Database is a service planning tool and people are only included if they are deemed to have a requirement for a service.

The current policy context for people with disabilities is evolving significantly as protocols and structures are put in place for the implementation of the commitments in the Sectoral Plan on Disability of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG). It is also evolving in light of the commitments set out in the social partnership agreement Towards 2016 and in the Department''s paper Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities. A framework for housing needs assessment, contained in the DEHLG''s 2006 Consultation Paper on Housing Needs Assessment, is also significant. The key elements in the new policy environment are outlined in more detail in the next chapter.

1.5 Methodology

The research methodology used in the study was based on the concept of triangulation, the process of "building checks and balances into a design through multiple data collecting strategies" (Patton 1987:60). This approach allows the researcher to draw data from a range of sources and to strengthen the validity of his/her observations and findings. The following research tools were used:

Review of policy documents
Survey questionnaire (see Appendix 2)
CIS Social Policy Alert5 (see Appendix 2)
Focus groups with a cross-section of organisations working with people with disabilities and with selected people with disabilities and their families
Identification of case examples
Consultation with selected key informants in both statutory and voluntary sectors.

It should be noted that the study focused primarily on people with disabilities availing of services and on voluntary/community organisations providing such services and that not all people with disabilities fall into this category.

Survey

Survey questionnaires were sent in early 2007 to voluntary/community organisations on the DFI database involved in the provision of housing and related supports and to CIB funded voluntary/community advocacy projects for people with disabilities. A total of 41 completed survey questionnaires were returned representing a 53% response rate6. The survey findings are presented in Chapter 3. The survey information was also used to identify themes and issues which were explored and developed in the focus groups (see Appendix 2).

5 A Social Policy Alert is a tool used by the Citizens Information Board from time to time to ask Citizens Information Services (CIS) to pay particular attention to named categories of queries for a period of time in order to identify any policy issues arising. CIS throughout the country dealt with 835,000 queries in 2006.
6 This is a good response rate given the diversity of voluntary organisations that received the questionnaire.

Focus Groups

Five focus groups were organised as part of the study - two in Dublin and one each in Limerick, Tralee and Sligo - in March/April 2007. A number of organisations working with people with disabilities were invited to nominate representatives (staff and service users) to participate in the focus groups. Participants were selected on the basis of providing a cross-section of people with different types of disability. A total of 63 people (35 service providers and 28 service users) participated in the focus groups.

The focus group discussions focused on capturing people''s actual experience and perceptions and provided an opportunity for the researchers to interact directly with the research target group. The approach adopted was to work towards a consensus on the various points made and, where this was not possible, to identify the range of perceptions around different issues. The discussions were recorded in writing and their content was analysed and distilled into a range of findings, which are outlined in Chapter 4.

CIS Social Policy Alert

A Social Policy Alert was sent to all Citizens Information Services and detailed case examples were provided by 5 CISs. These responses covered broadly similar themes to those that emerged in the survey and the focus group discussions.

Case examples

Case examples included in the report were sourced through the questionnaires, CIS Social Policy Alert, focus group discussions, interviews with key informants and follow-up by the researchers and DFI personnel. The case examples relating to individuals are based on their description of their experiences, reported to a CIS, a voluntary/community organisation or directly to the researchers. They are used to illustrate individual experiences and perspectives and include both positive and negative experiences. Some cases of what is regarded by the study participants as examples of good practice in housing provision for people with disabilities are also included.

Key informants

The findings from the analysis of the empirical research were validated by the researchers through discussions with the Study Advisory Group and the DFI Housing Sub-Group and through interviews with other key informants from both statutory and voluntary sectors.

1.6 Project Structures

Steering Group

The Project Steering Group overseeing the research had representation from the Citizens Information Board (CIB), Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) and the National Disability Authority (NDA). It met on a monthly basis from October 2006 to October 2007.

Advisory Group

An advisory group had representatives from a range of voluntary and community organisations, DFI, NDA, CIB and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It met on two occasions. (See Appendix 4 for a complete listing of the organisations that participated in the study.)

DFI Housing Sub-Group

A consultation meeting was held with members of the DFI Housing Sub-Group at which preliminary findings were discussed.

Research Personnel

The research was co-ordinated by a consultant researcher with assistance from a Citizens Information Board social policy executive. The focus group discussions were conducted by an independent facilitator and attended by the research personnel.

1.7 Outline of Report

The report contains 5 chapters. Chapter 1 has set out the overall context of the report, the research objectives and methodology. Chapter 2 describes the current policy context in Ireland in respect of housing and people with disabilities. It also outlines some of the key factors relevant to policy formulation in the area. Chapter 3 presents a synthesis of the main findings from the survey of voluntary and community organisations. Chapter 4 presents the main findings from the analysis of the focus group discussions. Chapter 5 sets out the main implications for policy and practice from the study findings and explores how these issues might be addressed in the national housing strategy for people with disabilities. The report contains 4 appendices.

Chapter 2 Current Policy Context

2.1 Introduction

This chapter describes the existing housing policy context in Ireland and its underlying principles as it relates to people with disabilities. It also outlines the new housing policy environment emerging in Ireland: the policy principles, commitments and key changes proposed. These provide the framework within which the shortcomings identified in Chapters 3 and 4 can be addressed.

2.2 Principles of Current Housing Policy

The core objective of Irish housing policy, according to the most recent government policy statement on housing, is "to enable every household to have available an affordable dwelling of good quality, suited to its needs, in a good environment, and as far as possible, at the tenure of its choice" (Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG) 2007:37). A 2006 Consultation Paper on housing needs assessment succinctly states that the aim of housing policy should be to "devise a graduated and flexible system of housing supports to effectively meet the housing needs of applicants over their lifetimes" (DEHLG 2006c:1). This approach recognises the complexity of housing needs over the life cycle and offers a useful context for addressing the accommodation needs of people with disabilities.

2.2.1 Social Inclusion

The obligation of the State to recognise the right to adequate housing and to implement appropriate legislation and policies has come very much to the fore in recent decades. Suitable housing is widely regarded as an essential and fundamental social inclusion measure because poor or inadequate housing negatively affects people''s mental and physical health. Difficulties that people with disabilities have generally in relation to access and social inclusion are compounded by a lack of appropriate housing. A particular focus in Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities (DEHLG 2007) is on interventions by Government to help those who cannot meet their accommodation needs fully from their own resources. There is an emphasis on ensuring that housing support is provided in a tailored way, reflecting the changing needs over a person''s life cycle.

2.2.2 Life-cycle approach

The life-cycle approach to housing is strongly endorsed in Towards 2016 and in Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities. It refers to the provision of supports to meet the needs of people in different phases of their life with a particular focus on the housing needs of people with disabilities:

This approach requires a holistic perspective on people''s needs as they move through key life cycle phases - childhood, working age, older people. A particular focus is placed on people with a disability (who will benefit from mainstreamed measures through all stages of the life cycle) (Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government 2007:10).

2.2.3 Sustainable communities

The concept of sustainable communities (outlined in Towards 2016 and in Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities) has clear implications for people with disabilities. Measures identified by Government as relevant to building sustainable communities are:

Continuing to improve the quality of houses and neighbourhoods
Providing tailored housing services to those who cannot afford to meet their own housing needs
Developing inter-agency cooperation where there is a care dimension
Maintaining the impetus for the delivery of housing at affordable prices to the market
Progressing the social housing reform agenda
Providing for integrated communities in planning for affordable and social housing.

2.2.4 Equality of access and choice

The Equal Status Acts 2000-2002 apply to the area of housing. Everyone is entitled to equal access to accommodation regardless of their gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religious belief or membership of the Traveller community. While formal equality of opportunity exists within the Irish housing system, there are significant institutional, administrative, attitudinal and cultural barriers to people with disabilities exercising their right to adequate and appropriate accommodation.

2.2.5 Supports for independent living

The need has been acknowledged for a range of housing supports to enable people with disabilities to live optimally in the community, as has the need for protocols to ensure

"that a combined approach to the accommodation, care and support needs is taken" (Department of Health and Children 2006:79).

Community-based support services required for independent living range from minimum support services to comprehensive assisted living services. They may include training for independent living, a settlement support service, crisis intervention, personal/emotional support, home help, public health nursing, social work and personal assistant services. People may need assistance whether living in mainstream housing or in dedicated sheltered/supported housing. Given the diversity of requirements, support services need to be made available in a manner that maximises choice for the service user and allows him/her to exercise the greatest degree of autonomy and control possible.

The need for a proper funding basis for the provision of care and other supports by voluntary sector providers of supportive housing has been identified as a key issue by the sector (Irish Council for Social Housing, 2006) and by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC, 2004).

2.3 Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities

The Disability Act 2005 contains specific provisions requiring the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG) to outline its plans for housing and accommodation and for cooperation between housing authorities and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

In DEHLG''s Sectoral Plan (DEHLG 2006b), it is proposed to develop a National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities as recommended in the NESC (2004) Housing in Ireland Report. This commitment is also reflected in Towards 2016 as a priority action in the social partnership agreement.

The National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities is aimed at supporting the provision of tailored housing and housing supports to people with disabilities. Legislation is to be introduced to provide for a new means of assessing housing needs, based on the framework in the Consultation Paper (DEHLG 2006c) to ensure that all people can live with maximum independence within their community.

The strategy is to be progressed through the establishment of a National Group under the aegis of the Housing Forum (see Appendix 1) headed by DEHLG and involving the Department of Health and Children, the HSE, social partners and other relevant stakeholders, including the National Disability Authority. This work commenced in autumn 2007.

2.4 Assessing Housing Need

Needs-based assessment is now widely recognised in legislation and policy statements relating to people with disabilities as a key factor in accommodation provision. Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities states that needs assessment should give prominence to

"individual choice, the provision of a range of support options and the creation of responsive capacity within housing authorities to take account of changing individual circumstances" (DEHLG 2007:48).

Each housing authority is required, under Section 9 of the Housing Act 1988, to carry out periodic assessments of the need for the provision of housing for persons who are unable to provide it from their own resources. The assessments cover the need for local authority housing as well as other social housing options. The last such assessment of need was carried out in March 2005. It showed that 43,6847 households were in need of local authority housing. Of these, 480 households (just over 1% of the total) were included in the category "disabled or handicapped persons".8 There is general agreement that this figure is an underestimate and that many people with disabilities are not registered for local authority housing for a number of reasons, including people''s limited awareness of the process. The data available from the Health Research Board''s Disability Databases, voluntary housing bodies and service providers also indicates higher numbers in need of accommodation.

The 2006 Consultation Paper, Housing Needs Assessment (DEHLG 2006c) identifies the following limitations in the current assessment process:

An incomplete picture of the level of need
An out-of-date picture of need
No system for prioritising need
Failure to distinguish between long-term and short-term need.

Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities (DEHLG 2007) recognises that an objective and comprehensive assessment of a household''s accommodation need is an essential first step towards forming an improved basis for policy and development and service delivery that in turn provides a modern system of housing supports.

A revised process (DEHLG Circular N13/2007 - implementing the Revised Housing Needs Assessment Process - Phase 1) is being put in place for the next statutory assessment of housing need to be carried out in 2008. This is related to the development of an overarching framework for the assessment of needs. It includes provision for the allocation of support9 and the delivery of services based on an overall assessment of the housing needs in the area.

7 This includes 13,778 households (31% of total) in receipt of SWA Rent Supplement. It should be noted, also, that there is some double counting in this figure as some people would have applied to more than one local authority.
8 It is likely that there are some people with disabilities included in other categories used in the needs assessment - ''persons living in accommodation that is unfit or materially unsuitable'', persons sharing accommodation involuntarily and having requirements for separate accommodation'', persons in need of accommodation for medical or compassionate grounds'', ''homeless persons''.
9 The allocation process, whereby households are provided with social housing support in accordance with priority needs (schemes of letting priorities), is to be the subject of a separate consultation paper.

The assessment of need forms the basis on which supports will be allocated and involves two distinct phases:

An initial evaluation to determine the most appropriate support option for the customer''s needs
A more comprehensive assessment for those who have been identified as having a long-term housing need.

Special Needs Housing

The Consultation Paper, Housing Needs Assessment (DEHLG 2006c), suggests that the area of special needs is a particularly important part of the assessment process. It noted that a separate set of criteria is required to identify the level of need and to link particular forms of housing and social supports to special needs'' applicants.

"The first step is to categorise the nature of the special need, linking particularly to the type of support measures needed" (DEHLG 2006c:22).

A new HSE system of statutory independent needs assessment (INA) for people with disabilities commenced in June 2007 for children aged under 5 years and is due to be extended to all age groups by 2011 in line with