3.3 Accommodation

During 2012-16, disability advocates assisted 77 people with accommodation issues in an average three month period.

Disability advocacy Issue Accommodation
Number 77 people on average per quarter
Trend ≈ generally stable
Rights under the CRPD Governments will ensure:

  • 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 (Article 19)
  • no person with disabilities, regardless of place of residence or living arrangements, shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence (Article 22)
  • access by persons with disabilities to public housing programs (Article 28)
Commitments in the State Disability Plan The Victorian Government will:

  • implement its commitment to improve domestic building regulations for older people and people living with a disability (Action 1)
  • use private brokerage as a strategy for assisting vulnerable Victorians to access suitable long-term accommodation in the private rental sector (Key Priority 6)
  • increase the supply of community housing and work with the sector to ensure that people with a disability are prioritised for suitable housing through the new Victorian Housing Register (Key Priority 6)
  • Work towards better meeting the accessibility and adaptability needs of people with a disability as new public housing is built. This also applies to the housing needs of women affected by family violence (Key Priority 6)

 

Analysis

The number of people recorded as seeking assistance with accommodation issues appears to be relatively stable. The recent peak in the June 2016 quarter is notable, but requires further data to see whether this is the beginning of an increase in demand for this type of advocacy.

The NDIS completed its Specialist Disability Accommodation Framework and Pricing structure in 2016. This will fund accommodation for some NDIS recipients. However, it is estimated only about 6 per cent of participants will be eligible for this funding. Other NDIS participants will continue to have unmet housing needs, including unaffordable or inappropriate housing.

 

Figure 10: Line graph showing reports of accommodation issues

 

Case study: Assistance finding safe, hygienic housing

Abigail* had a one-month-old child with a disability. Their rental property developed mould and rodent issues, which could adversely affect her child’s lung health. Abigail wished move out of the property to reduce her child’s health risk, but faced a fee for breaking the lease agreement. This was difficult to pay as Abigail’s family lives on a low income.

Abigail approached an advocate for assistance. The advocate wrote a letter to the landlord explaining the child’s disability and why the family needed to move for health reasons. They requested the landlord did not proceed with penalising Abigail for breaking the lease agreement.

The landlord agreed and the family was able to move to a new rental property without the additional financial burden of the fee for breaking a lease agreement.

* names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals

 

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