Earlier this year, Habinteg’s Forecast for accessible homes 2020 report revealed that in the next 10 years, 70% of all new homes will not have to meet any accessible housing standard. What does this mean for our disabled and older population?
As there is already a lack of accessible homes in the current housing stock, we risk creating a crisis in the near future, not just for disabled people but for our ageing population, too. Where and how will everyone live as we get older and mobility difficulties start to arise?
“The pandemic has illustrated just how important our homes are to our physical and mental well-being, whether you’re a disabled person or not”
To prevent a real housing catastrophe, the government needs to consider the quality of homes being built now and whether they will be suitable to meet the needs of older and disabled people. The government needs to also urgently set a clear expectation for a proportion of new homes to be built to a fully wheelchair-accessible standard.
Over the past 16 months, the pandemic has illustrated just how important our homes are to our physical and mental well-being, whether you’re a disabled person or not.
A YouGov poll commissioned by Habinteg found that inaccessible housing made lockdown significantly harder for many disabled UK adults. I imagine this was not only due to accessibility, but the added stresses of shielding and having to find alternative care solutions.
Disabled people have been feeling the impact of unsuitable homes long before the pandemic; an accessible home is crucial for disabled people’s mental and physical well-being as well as living an independent life.
As a disabled person who lives in an accessible home, I already know and understand the endless health and wellbeing benefits I get from living in a suitable property.
But it’s not only about the impact on individual people and families, there is evidence out there which shows that building accessible homes also saves the NHS money.
As the government focuses on improving building safety regulations, and rightfully so, it’s important that they also consider the safety of disabled people living in ill-suited housing.
I look forward to my reply from the prime minister on this. If we build more accessible homes now, we can prevent this crisis rather than having to cure it when it’s too late.
Kerry Thompson, tenant, Habinteg
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