The new world of social housing

1. The new world of social housing What it means for people with a disability and their families. Ben Ilsley 2010

2. Introduction • Who I am • Why I am here

3. About this presentation • Some comments about housing for people with a disability and what it means for caring families • The role of social housing, now and in the future • Largely from a Victorian perspective, but has national relevance • Discussion about advocacy strategies

4. Some Context • In Victoria, less than 3% of people with a disability live in supported accommodation • Carers are extremely concerned about accommodation and support for their family member with a disability

5. Policy and implications • (Victorian) Government policy: “People with a disability should be able to choose where they live, with whom and in what type of housing –just like other members of the community” • Many live with their families • Choice? • What’s the reality?

6. “Housing Careers” • Landmark report last year by Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute • Outlines typical housing careers of people with different disability types and describes how these are different from the general population • Affects whole family

7. AHURI Report Findings • Different housing careers for people with a disability • Different for different disability types • Affects choices of whole family (interdependence of needs) • Complex intersection of different factors

8. Typical Australian Housing Preferences Assume the following hierarchy of preference: Home ownership Private rental Community housing Public housing Rooming houses, caravan parks, SRS’s (Victoria?)

9. Home ownership • Valued even more highly than general population, but • People with a disability and their carers have lower than average incomes

10. Implications • People with a disability are rarely in a position to own their own home • Carers have prioritised home ownership where possible, masking the problem • Mortgage stress, lack of superannuation

11. Typical housing careers (AHURI 2009)

12. Equivalent for person with a developmental disability (AHURI) Indicative housing career of a person with a developmental disability (AHURI 2009)

13. Barriers to home ownership for caring families • 44% of carer renters in AHURI study had previously been owners • 66% lost homes because of relationship breakdown • 17% because of costs of care • 17% loss of employment • Changes in affordability since, say, 2000 • older carers are as likely to own their own home as other Australians • younger carers aged 15-34 are less likely to own their own home than non-carers of a similar age range

14. Private Rental • Lack of security of tenure • Difficulties with building modification (financial, permission) • Increasingly scarce and unaffordable • Discrimination, competition • utilisation of low rent stock by higher income households (Wulff et al., AHURI, 2009).

15. Community housing • Security of tenure • Affordable • Often delivered by organisations with disability expertise • Seen as a housing growth vehicle by governments • Shared equity schemes?

16. Community housing and the affordability agenda • In Victoria, Housing Associations must contribute 25% of the equity of a dwelling • Very difficult for HA’s to generate this from people on very low incomes eg DSP, Carer Payment • Cross subsidisation and/or viability issues, disincentives

17. Allocation and accountability policy settings • 50% of new residents must be allocated from Public Housing waiting list • Unclear mechanisms of how they are selected • Victorian Government’s development of a Common Waiting List

18. Recap: Choice ‘funnelling” Home Ownership PrivateRental Community Housing Public Housing

19. Public Housing • Secure • Affordable • Scarce • Targetted to those “most in need”

20. Implications of scarcity and targetting • Prioritises those “Most in need” • Waiting lists • Stigma, “ghetto-isation” • Does not specifically prioritise people with a disability, (although 40% of new residents have a disability (AIHW 2003) • Barriers to workforce participation

21. Economic Stimulus and the Nation Building Program • Social housing includes: • Community housing • Public housing • $6.4 billion, nearly 20,000 new homes • Biggest investment in 10 years • Short timelines

22. Other Perspectives • Funding will still not be enough • Does not specifically provide for people with a disability

23. The Problem -Now and in the future • Demographics: • Longevity of people with a disability • Increased incidence of disability • Ageing of the population • Ageing Parent Carers: figures?

24. Impacts? • SRS’s, Rooming houses, caravan parks • Choices of caring families further reduced • Negative impacts on quality of life for families. Social exclusion. • Impacts on welfare, health and housing systems

25. Advocacy Context: Policy Strands and Silos • Disability policy is quiet about housing • Broad housing policy is quiet about disability

26. Housing and disability strategy • Data, population approach, projected need • Joint planning at all levels (investment, services, local) • Investment

27. National Disability Insurance Scheme • Expectations and hopes are high • Unlikely to include accommodation or housing • Where will people with a disability live?

28. Advocacy options and tools • Human rights • Economic benefits? • Cost benefits and system efficiencies • Politics, numbers and votes • Collaboration

29. Promising Signs? • Henry Taxation Review recommendations: • Reform of Rental Assistance Scheme • Assistance for social housing providers to meet the needs of people with a disability. • Preliminary steps in some states

30. Contact details Ben Ilsley Policy Adviser beni@carersvic.org.au (03) 9396 9522