My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People. The grants are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority.
The administration of the grants scheme, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation of grant applications under the various measures, is the responsibility of each local authority. The grants under the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability and the Mobility Aids Grant are available to members of a household residing in private rented accommodation. These schemes are applicant based and are available to people with an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability, and to older people who experience mobility issues so that can continue to live independently at home.
Where a disabled person is in receipt of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and wishes to transfer to accommodation provided by the local authority directly, an application must be made to the local authority to be placed on the transfer list. The oversight and management of housing waiting lists, including the allocation of, and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated Regulations.
