‘Disabled people are trapped in their homes’
Human rights inquiry finds chronic shortage of suitable housing
DISABLED people in Wales and across Britain have been left demoralised by a chronic shortage of suitable housing, with unnecessary bureaucracy and insufficient support leaving them trapped in unsuitable homes, an official investigation has found. The report, which stems from an 18-month formal legal inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), calls for the Welsh and UK governments to take urgent action to make all new houses adaptable and accessible.
It says the Welsh Government should produce a national strategy to ensure there is an adequate supply of houses built to inclusive design standards and for a review of the way that building standards are enforced.
Ruth Coombs, head of Wales at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: “Our report shows that thousands of disabled people across Wales are feeling trapped in homes that are not suitable. People are facing long waits to get a home to meet their needs. No-one’s right to
independent living should be limited by their home. And making necessary adaptations should not be a long and complex process.
“The Welsh Government’s commitment to build 20,000 new affordable homes by 2021 and its review of affordable housing are opportunities to improve the situation. We call on the Welsh Government to act now to address the housing crisis that is affecting the lives of disabled people in Wales.”
The inquiry surveyed all local authorities across Wales, England, and Scotland and found many have failed to collect data or meet current demands, let alone plan for the future. The failure to set targets for the future is of particular concern as the number of disabled people is increasing: Wales has a higher proportion of disabled people than any other country or region of the UK – 26%. Welsh Government statistics show the number of people over 65 with a mobility impairment is projected to rise by 58% by 2035.
Only 15% of Welsh local authorities rated the data available to them on who needs accessible homes as “good”, only 5% have a target in place for accessible housing, and only 15% say disabled people’s housing needs are subject to specific discussion or scrutiny when conducting a local housing market assessment.
The report concludes that without a national planning policy that specifically considers accessible and adaptable housing for disabled people councils have no obligation to make sure they’re delivering the right kind of housing in their local development plans and find it challenging to require developers to build to a higher standard. Developers are reluctant to build adaptable houses because they think they are less profitable.
The findings raise alarming concerns that disabled people’s right to independent living is being heavily restricted by unsuitable and unsafe housing. The ability to move around, leave the house and take as full and active role in the community as possible is vital to disabled people and essential in ensuring they have access to education and employment.
During the inquiry the EHRC heard from more than 400 disabled people, which exposed stories of people eating, sleeping and bathing in one room and of people having to be carried around their homes by family members. Inadequate housing has also led to many disabled people, carers and family members experiencing a serious deterioration in their mental wellbeing.
One respondent in Wales told the inquiry team: “I am unable to independently access the first floor or the kitchen appliances. The bathroom is too small so I can’t use the toilet. I am currently sleeping in what should be the dining room so don’t have much privacy. I can’t care for my own young daughter if she is ill as I can’t access her bedroom. I can’t access the back door.”
Another, who cares for her daughter, explained how the restrictions impacted on their family life: “I have to carry her up the stairs if she needs the toilet. I also have to be upstairs while she bathes to get her in and out and to wash her when she is bad.
“This affects my physical ability and hurts my back a lot. My girl also wants to be independent but can’t get in or out of the bath.”
A further disabled person shared their struggle to get suitable adaptations, a problem which limits their independence: “I sleep downstairs and I’m unable to access the upstairs bathroom often, only the downstairs toilet. My landlord will not permit changes to the property so I’m unable to have grab rails which are needed and other aids, again making me more dependent on carers and limiting my independence.”
Building regulations in Wales have produced houses that are generally inaccessible, particularly for people who use wheelchairs.
While the Welsh Government has taken action to ensure that the social housing it directly funds is built to meet some accessibility and adaptability criteria disabled people face particular difficulties and disadvantages in the private sector.
Housing for private rent is generally built to a lower accessibility standard, creating a significant problem for houses to be economically adapted in the future.
This is further complicated by most buy-to-let mortgages specifying a 12-month maximum tenancy, which prevents landlords from agreeing to the three-to-five-year requirements to get the necessary grant for adaptations.
This adds to the confusion and reluctance disabled people feel when asking private landlords for adaptations.
A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “We are working to make it quicker and easier for people to secure helpful adaptations when they need them, to improve access to buildings and their facilities, and are currently collecting data to help us to understand how we can streamline this process further.
“We will carefully consider these recommendations which will help to inform our work with local authorities and wider partners to improve disabled people’s access to suitable homes.”