We are Worth the Investment. NSW Council for Intellectual Disability Conference 16-17 July 2015. Housing, Karen Fisher, Associate Professor, Social Policy Research Centre

1. 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

2. • 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

3. 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

4.  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

5. 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

6. Good reasons
 Social connections – friends, family
 Control over support arrangements
Forced reasons
 Housing costs
 Support costs
 Available houses
Reasons for sharing a home

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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 research
www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/research/areas/disability-mental-health/
www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/research/publications/
karen.fisher@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 7800
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