Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 October 2021
298. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures that are being taken, under the new Housing for All plan, to increase the supply of housing for persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47716/21]
View answerHousing for All commits to ensuring that quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society, in particular those in greatest need. The Plan pledges to increasing new housing supply to an average of at least 33,000 new units per year over the next decade. This will include over 10,000 social homes each year over the next five years, with 9,500 of these being new-builds, and an average of 6,000 affordable homes for purchase or rent.
Specifically for people with disabilities, the Plan prioritises delivering an appropriate range of housing types and related support services in an integrated and sustainable manner. The roadmap to achieve this is to be set out in a new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People from 2022, promoting equality of opportunity, individual choice and independent living.
The current National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2016-2021, which is a joint Strategy with the Department of Health, runs to the end of this year and a first consultation phase for the development of a new joint Strategy to 2027 was launched earlier this year, with a research phase running in parallel. A second round of consultation is underway and a new joint Strategy will be in place by 1 January 2022.
Furthermore, Actions 7.1 to 7.6 of Housing for All set out specific measures to provide or enhance housing for people with disabilities. These include:
- ensuring that local authority Housing Delivery Action Plans will set out how dedicated social housing provision appropriate to the needs of people with a disability will be delivered matching the scale and extent of housing need identified for people with a disability;
- the needs of people with a disability will be assessed through the Housing Need and Demand Assessment Framework to be considered as part of the Housing Strategy and Development Plan process;
- Housing and Disability Steering Groups will have to report quarterly on the implementation of their local strategic plans regarding housing for people with a disability to the Chief Executive and the Strategic Policy Committee;
- the range of housing grants available to assist with meeting specific housing needs, including the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability will be reviewed, and relevant changes made, where appropriate; and
- Disability Friendly Housing Technical Advisors will be appointed in each Local Authority.
