Housing and the NDIS -

Perspectives on key issues

Karen Fisher

Council for Intellectual Disability NSW, Conference 16-17 July 2015

Acknowledgements: Trish Hill, Anna Jones, Rosemary Kayess, Deborah Lutz, Ariella Meltzer, Christiane Purcal, Sally Robinson, Charlotte Smedley, Robert Strike, Ilan Weisel

• Housing and NDIS

• CRPD Article 19

• Choices about shared housing

When I first opened up the door, I knew that this was it, was freedom ... these days I’ve got a smile on my face, got my own food and can come and go as I please … I’m just loving it.

Outline

Policy directions:

individualised plan and funding package

NDIS only funds housing support, not housing costs

assumes people use private or social housing

NDIA financial support for housing

to modify existing housing

facilitate new housing – specialised or segregated housing?

people with disability living together?

Implications for choices about whether to share a home

Housing and NDIS

CRPD Article 19 Living independently and being included in the community

a. Persons with disabilities have the opportunity to choose their place of residence and where and with whom they live on an equal basis with others and are not obliged to live in a particular living arrangement

NDIS impact on housing

People living in or making choices to move to independent housing

Independent living = friendships and informed decisions to make choices and have autonomy about support arrangements and who to live with or alone

Choosing whether to live with someone else

Private rental

Relationship with real estate agent or landlord

Low cost location

Social housing

Support to apply

Home modifications

Private ownership

Shared equity or trust

Family financial support

Best chances of finding a home you prefer

Good reasons

Social connections – friends, family

Control over support arrangements

Forced reasons

Housing costs

Support costs

Available houses

Reasons for sharing a home

Share with family, friends, partner or housemate with or without disability

My [package] is helping me to become independent with the help of support workers. I will be very happy when I move to a place of my own and share the place with my friends.

Social connections

Share to have more control

Two friends with disability living together said that with their packages they directly chose their support workers, so they had more control over who came to their home, than before they received the package

Control over support arrangements

Housing and support costs too high

housemate to share cost of housing

share cost of support workers

Shortage of housing

affordable

accessible

close to family and friends

Forced to share had a cost to privacy, conflict, control, choice

Forced to share

Some people have positive choices to share

They know the people they wanted to live with

They like the social and support choices from sharing with people they know

Other people are forced to share

Cost of housing or support is too high without sharing Sharing is at a cost to their quality of life

Housing and NDIS implications

Paid support to enable equality and widen choices Invest in access to local affordable, accessible housing for independent living Community development to build social connections for choices about whether

and who to live with

Implications for NDIS and housing

Purcal C. et al (2014) Supported Accommodation Evaluation Framework Report, SPRC Report 31/14, Sydney www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/__

data/assets/file/0017/311246/Supported-Accommodation-Evaluation-Framework-Summary-Report.pdf

Weisel I. et al (2015) Moving to my home: housing aspirations, transitions and outcomes of people with disability, AHURI Final Report, www.ahuri.edu.au

Disability policy researchwww.sprc.unsw.edu.au/research/areas/disability-mental-health/ www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/research/publications/

karen.fisher@unsw.edu.au 02 9385 7800

Resources