Housing for People with Disabilities: Please apply to your local authority

Equality

I would like to encourage all people with disabilites who are in need of housing to register with their local authority and apply for a housing needs assessment to be completed.

In particular, if you are the parent of a child with a disability, please ensure that the child is encouraged to apply for local authority housing as soon as they are 18. There is a waiting list for housing, and the sooner you apply the sooner you get to the top of the list.

This is because if people with disabilities are not on the housing list, they are not counted and no provision is made by the local authority for the provision of suitable accommodation. If there are 10 wheelchair users and 20 blind people on the waiting list, we can make a case that suitable accommodation needs to be provided. We can't if there is no one with a disability on the housing list.

Mental Mickey

Equality wrote: »

I would like to encourage all people with disabilites who are in need of housing to register with their local authority and apply for a housing needs assessment to be completed.

In particular, if you are the parent of a child with a disability, please ensure that the child is encouraged to apply for local authority housing as soon as they are 18. There is a waiting list for housing, and the sooner you apply the sooner you get to the top of the list.

This is because if people with disabilities are not on the housing list, they are not counted and no provision is made by the local authority for the provision of suitable accommodation. If there are 10 wheelchair users and 20 blind people on the waiting list, we can make a case that suitable accommodation needs to be provided. We can't if there is no one with a disability on the housing list.

I wish the process was simpler.....? I've been told by my local authority, that, because I earn too much, I am not entitled to go on their list.

Equality

I know the feeling. The only suggestion I can give is that you appeal their decision, and if they reject the appeal, you should appeal to the Ombudsman. You should make the point that suitable accommodation is more expensive, given the nature of your disability, and is not affordable on your income. List out the isses that are relevant to you - you need a two bed because you need a carer, you need to access public transport and need to be near a particular bus route for work/family visits/hospital visits.... If there is nothing affordable on your income, this gives you grounds for appeal.

But ask yourself this - did you earn too much when you were between the ages of 18-25?

This is why you should go on the housing list at 18. By the time you reach age 25, you will have been on the housing list 7 years (and in most parts of Ireland you can expect to be at the top of the list after 7 years, even as a single person).

One of my pals, who is single, went on the housing list at 18, went to university, left university, got private rented accommodation (this helps with the housing need assessment, as the private rented was unsuitable, given the nature of the disability) and now has local authority housing. Modern, centrally located, very suitable, specially purchased by the local authority. Two bed accommodation was provided, as a carer is needed at night. This pal now earns good money, but accommodation was sorted before the job was sorted.

I see the problems that are caused when accommodation is not suitable - young disabled people don't even think about housing, but if this forum can raise awareness of the need for housing, and convince people to go on the housing list, local authorities are more likely to provide suitable housing for disabled people. If we are not on the housing lists, we cannot complain that the local authorities are not providing housing.

Mental Mickey

Equality wrote: »

I know the feeling. The only suggestion I can give is that you appeal their decision, and if they reject the appeal, you should appeal to the Ombudsman. You should make the point that suitable accommodation is more expensive, given the nature of your disability, and is not affordable on your income. List out the isses that are relevant to you - you need a two bed because you need a carer, you need to access public transport and need to be near a particular bus route for work/family visits/hospital visits.... If there is nothing affordable on your income, this gives you grounds for appeal.

But ask yourself this - did you earn too much when you were between the ages of 18-25?

This is why you should go on the housing list at 18. By the time you reach age 25, you will have been on the housing list 7 years (and in most parts of Ireland you can expect to be at the top of the list after 7 years, even as a single person).

One of my pals, who is single, went on the housing list at 18, went to university, left university, got private rented accommodation (this helps with the housing need assessment, as the private rented was unsuitable, given the nature of the disability) and now has local authority housing. Modern, centrally located, very suitable, specially purchased by the local authority. Two bed accommodation was provided, as a carer is needed at night. This pal now earns good money, but accommodation was sorted before the job was sorted.

I see the problems that are caused when accommodation is not suitable - young disabled people don't even think about housing, but if this forum can raise awareness of the need for housing, and convince people to go on the housing list, local authorities are more likely to provide suitable housing for disabled people. If we are not on the housing lists, we cannot complain that the local authorities are not providing housing.

At the age of 25, I had only just started working. I hadn't even thought of owning my own home.

It's only in the last few years that the need has become greater. I lost one of my parents last year and the other is in their 70's.

Equality

Therein lies the point of the thread.

At the age of 25, you would have qualified for local authority accommodation, but you were not on the housing list.

The point of this thread is to encourage people with disabilites to apply for local authority housing as soon as they are 18. (Indeed, the same applies to people who are not disabled).

Those with disabilites often have significant difficulty in getting private rented accommodation, as there is simply nowhere suitable, given the nature of the disability. That is why access to local authority housing is so critical.

Mental Mickey

Equality wrote: »

Therein lies the point of the thread.

At the age of 25, you would have qualified for local authority accommodation, but you were not on the housing list.

The point of this thread is to encourage people with disabilites to apply for local authority housing as soon as they are 18. (Indeed, the same applies to people who are not disabled).

Those with disabilites often have significant difficulty in getting private rented accommodation, as there is simply nowhere suitable, given the nature of the disability. That is why access to local authority housing is so critical.

I was going to apply to go on my local authority housing list. Have been told that i can't as I earn too much money.......

robjo

A lot of information on this subject is on www.disability.ie

Mental Mickey

robjo wrote: »

A lot of information on this subject is on www.disability.ie

Am I entitled to apply for housing assistance even though I earn x amount(deemed to be over the allowed threshold), and am currently living at home with my elderly father, and a brother?

I went to my local authority to apply for housing aid, and when I said that I earned x amount and had x amount in savings, I was told that I wouldn't be eligible for aid from the local authority.

The only option open to me was to buy my own home.

Equality

You need to go to a bank and apply for a mortgage. If they refuse the mortgage, you then take the bank refusal and go back to the local authority with this, as proof that you cannot afford to purchase a house.

You might need two bank refusals, but at present these are easy enough to get, as the banks don't have much money to lend out anyway.

You deal with this primarily through e-mail when contacting the local authority, as you are trying to create a record of when you applied for the house.

Mental Mickey

Equality wrote: »

You need to go to a bank and apply for a mortgage. If they refuse the mortgage, you then take the bank refusal and go back to the local authority with this, as proof that you cannot afford to purchase a house.

You might need two bank refusals, but at present these are easy enough to get, as the banks don't have much money to lend out anyway.

You deal with this primarily through e-mail when contacting the local authority, as you are trying to create a record of when you applied for the house.

I've done all this in the past. When I went to the authority to put my name on the list, I was told that, because I have x in savings, and earn x in wages, I am not eligible to go on their list. Even though I am a person with a disability.

It was basically: tough s**t, Jack.

Mental Mickey

Mental Mickey wrote: »

I've done all this in the past. When I went to the authority to put my name on the list, I was told that, because I have x in savings, and earn x in wages, I am not eligible to go on their list. Even though I am a person with a disability.

It was basically: tough s**t, Jack.

I also spoke to one of their Customer Service Agents, and explained the situation to her. She said that I should have no problem in buying a house with my savings/wages etc. She also said that because I am a first time buyer, banks etc, would love helping me......?

I should've edited my previous post. Sorry.

RainyDay

Equality is a double-edged sword, I guess. Have you considered renting instead of buying?

Mental Mickey

RainyDay wrote: »

Equality is a double-edged sword, I guess. Have you considered renting instead of buying?

But if I rented a property, would the landlord make the necessary adjustments for me to be able to live in it?

By adjustments, I mean making the bathroom/shower adaptable to my needs, same goes for the kitchen.

I seriously doubt it.

Equality

One of the local authorities (can't remember which, and can't find a link) was criticised recently by a report because they would not put a downstairs wheelchair accessible bathroom into private rented accommodation, for a person who needed it. The report said that the person had been disadvantaged in comparison to someone who owned a house or rented from a local authority. It was either the Ombudsman or one of the Equality bodies who printed the report. If I find it I will post a link.

Equality

The problem with renting, RainyDay, is that it is almost impossible to get suitable private rented accommodation, if you are a wheelchair user or have mobility problems. You need a wheelchair accessible downstairs bathroom, a downstairs bed, sometimes with grips near it. Press/storage needs to be limited to hip level, otherwise it is no good. The list is much longer than that, but this will give you some idea.

Another issue is that many people who receive personal assistance from a parent would need a package from the HSE if they were to move into independent living. This is easier to get if you own the house, as there is usually no family member living in a house you own. When you live with your parents they are expected to do all the heavy lifting, and as they approach 80 years of age they are just not able to do it. The only way to relieve them of this responsibility is to move out of the family home. Once you move out, you are entitled to assistance from the HSE.

A good tip which may help many families is to apply to state universities, like UCD. You can do this at any age. Pick one that has wheelchair accessible student accommodation, and the college disability officer will make sure you get all the help you need. When you start in college, you generally have no money, so you apply to the local authority for housing. By the time you finish a four year degree, and maybe a masters as well, you are at the top of the housing list. You get your local authority house/flat, and the HSE sorts out the home care package. All of this is best done before you are 25, as once you get a good job it is more difficult to get these things.

Mental Mickey

Equality wrote: »

The problem with renting, RainyDay, is that it is almost impossible to get suitable private rented accommodation, if you are a wheelchair user or have mobility problems. You need a wheelchair accessible downstairs bathroom, a downstairs bed, sometimes with grips near it. Press/storage needs to be limited to hip level, otherwise it is no good. The list is much longer than that, but this will give you some idea.

Another issue is that many people who receive personal assistance from a parent would need a package from the HSE if they were to move into independent living. This is easier to get if you own the house, as there is usually no family member living in a house you own. When you live with your parents they are expected to do all the heavy lifting, and as they approach 80 years of age they are just not able to do it. The only way to relieve them of this responsibility is to move out of the family home. Once you move out, you are entitled to assistance from the HSE.

A good tip which may help many families is to apply to state universities, like UCD. You can do this at any age. Pick one that has wheelchair accessible student accommodation, and the college disability officer will make sure you get all the help you need. When you start in college, you generally have no money, so you apply to the local authority for housing. By the time you finish a four year degree, and maybe a masters as well, you are at the top of the housing list. You get your local authority house/flat, and the HSE sorts out the home care package. All of this is best done before you are 25, as once you get a good job it is more difficult to get these things.

So basically, a person of my age is f**ked then......? I didn't start doing anything about it until recently(last 5+ years), because (a). I, nor my family, knew nothing about it, and (b) one of my parents(who is now deceased), was battling a serious illness, and, as a result, my other parent had enough on their plate to deal with.

Mental Mickey

Mental Mickey wrote: »

So basically, a person of my age is f**ked then......? I didn't start doing anything about it until recently(last 5+ years), because (a). I, nor my family, knew nothing about it, and (b) one of my parents(who is now deceased), was battling a serious illness, and, as a result, my other parent had enough on their plate to deal with.

Anyone.........?