The National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability (NHSPWD) 2011-2016 and the associated National Implementation Framework are joint publications by my Department and the Department of Health, and set out the Government’s broad framework for the delivery of housing for people with disabilities. They were developed as part of a coherent framework in conjunction with the Government’s mental health policy and Congregated Settings Report.
De-congregation is a policy matter for the Department of Health who, in conjunction with the Health Service Executive (HSE), decide which institutions close and which clients are appropriate to community living with required supports. The ongoing health, home care and other supports for individuals, under the remit of the HSE, are essential components that facilitate this objective. The provision of appropriate housing is another component of the wider strategy, and this element is supported by my Department in accordance with the NHSPWD.
Since 2013, €1 million has been provided by my Department to support the on-going transition of people with disabilities from congregated settings and I have secured equivalent funding for 2017. In addition, to help accelerate progress, my Department has provided ring-fenced funding of €10 million in 2016 under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), specifically for the provision of housing for people with disabilities who are moving out of congregated settings into community based living arrangements. CAS funding will also be available to provide housing for people with disabilities in the community more generally that is not specifically targeted at deinstitutionalisation. The CAS provides funding of up to 100% to Approved Housing Bodies for the provision of independent living accommodation to meet the needs of people requiring specific categories of needs, including those with disabilities. Further capital will be available in 2017 for housing provision for people with disabilities. This is additional to capital funding which is being provided separately by the Minister for Health.
