www.communitylifestyleaccommodation.org.au PO Box 66 Bittern VIC, 3918 Ph. 0423 356 878 E-mail: marie.hell@bigpond.com Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Market Readiness for provision of services under the NDIS
Committee Secretariat PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600
Note term (g) the provision of housing options for people with disability, with particular reference to the impact of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) supports on the disability housing market;
Insufficient Housing Options for People with Intellectual Disability (ID) The NDIS is a welcome, significant and enduring achievement. As the scheme rolls out progressively across Australia, it will assist people with significant disabilities to live with dignity and choice through the provision of appropriately planned and funded support arrangements. At the same time, it has highlighted the urgent need to create sufficient and appropriate housing to meet the growing need of accommodation for people with an intellectual disability still living at home with their ageing carers. The dignity of choice, independence and inclusion can only be fully realised if availability of flexible, affordable and accessible housing options can be assured for this cohort of people. Unfortunately, in the current market, suitable housing options are seldom available for individuals with severe/profound intellectual disability CLA is a grass roots, community-based organisation that has risen to respond to the needs of ageing carers, and their middle-aged sons and daughters with Intellectual disability. After a lifetime of caring these carers are in urgent need of accommodation for their adult son or daughter with an intellectual disability. Many individuals with an ID have no hope of the home they need before their carers are forced to relinquish their care due to ill health or death. Carers fear what will happen to their son or daughter in the future and how hard the transition will be if it occurs due to an emergency. Under the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) allocation, only 6% of NDIS participants will be eligible. This is not a good outcome for the thousands of people with an intellectual disability who will not receive a housing allocation. The government needs to consciously recognise and understand that individuals with disabilities, especially those with a severe/profound Intellectual Disability, have no opportunity to accrue the capital wealth required to make a substantial financial contribution to accommodation on their own behalf. Their carers too are often challenged financially due to marriage breakdowns ,reduction in paid work arising from the need to meet their caring responsibilities at the same time as they have also met the additional costs of raising a child with a disability, plus supporting their other children.
- Social housing, which is a State responsibility, is in crisis and will now be expected to support the additional 94% of people with disability to find a housing placement
- CLA feels this is a major problem for our families whose children will not receive a SDA package
Mrs Marie Hell Secretary PO Box 66 Bittern VIC, 3918 Ph. 0423 356 878 E-mail: marie.hell@bigpond.com
www.communitylifestyleaccommodation.org.au
- Our sons and daughters have been in loving homes all their lives, and they need a choice to live with their friends in housing that fits their needs.
- This means that individuals will have a support package but will still have to live at home till their parent dies
- The Productivity Commission report stated that one of the most disadvantaged groups was the group of people who are now cared for by ageing carers.
- However, neglect of the housing shortage has meant that for many, if not most, individuals with ageing carers will need to continue to live at home until housing becomes available.
- Housing for this cohort of people seems to have been forgotten by the government and NDIA
- The individual with severe/profound Intellectual disability (lifelong) has every right to access safe supported accommodation in their community.
- Housing options must be provided for the parents to transition their person before they die enabling a sensitive and respectful transition for the person and peace of mind for the carer.
The ‘inappropriateness’ of SDA ‘compliance’, which is so focused on physical impairment (wheelchair users), and also the majority of people with a disability who won’t be ‘lucky’ to have SDA in their plans, however still require equitable opportunities for housing.
- It is apparent that many people with intellectual disability, and many people living with ageing parents will not be eligible for SDA. What ‘bricks and mortar’ supports will the NDIA fund considering a ‘home modification’ isn’t the answer to long term security of housing tenure after parents pass away?
- There seems to be a push towards State Gov’t providing a housing solution for our adult children through social housing however the traditional social housing process, waiting time and housing type isn’t the answer for our adult children with high support needs. How is the NDIA and State Gov’t collaborating to address the housing need?
- Does the NDIA acknowledge that long term financial liabilities for support will increase for our adult children living with ageing parents once parents pass away? Ageing parents provide significant amounts of gratuitous unpaid care and it is not fair that ageing parents continue to support their children well beyond the later stages of their lives.
- Will the NDIA consider a small ‘housing payment’ for non SDA participants who have a housing need? This housing payment should be able to be used to facilitate an appropriate long term housing outcome, and only needs to be less than the ‘Basic’ SDA payment rate.
- Ironically, when ageing parents pass away a likely pathway is that many adult children with ID may have no option but to enter residential aged care. It is not appropriate for a young person to have to reside in RAC, and at this point, they will most likely then be eligible for SDA in their plan.
Mrs Marie Hell Secretary PO Box 66 Bittern VIC, 3918 Ph. 0423 356 878 E-mail: marie.hell@bigpond.com
www.communitylifestyleaccommodation.org.au
- This pathway needs to be prevented with a proactive approach by the NDIA by approving SDA in a person’s plan living with ageing parents now (giving ageing parents peace of mind that a suitable housing solution will be available)
- We are seeing many examples of discrimination due to new accommodation now being made ‘SDA compliant’ and only being made available to SDA eligible participants due to the income stream available to the SDA provider/owner.
CLA would ask that the Government and the NDIA please read Justin Nix’s (housing consultant) paper attached and realise that older parents /carers, after a lifetime of caring, deserve the right to see their loved son or daughter settled in safe accessible supported housing before they die.
One way of addressing this discrimination issue is to extend the SDA housing payment allocation to cover our cohort of participants, primarily older people with a severe/profound intellectual disability still living with their ageing carers in communities across the Nation.
Government commitment to ensuring access to affordable, flexible, accessible and creative housing options through funding provision is crucial to the future of those living with a significant intellectual disability still living at home with the ageing carers, many in their late 70’s - 80’s. These older Carers are at breaking point wondering why the NDIS is not supporting their sons and daughter with a SDA allocation to have a home of their own in their community
Quote from an ageing carer
“Are you going to address the lack of justice for people with complex care needs and housing and ageing carers with no hope for a solution for their loved ones before they die? The housing crisis is still as bad as or even worse than ever for ageing sick carers well into their seventies and eighties looking after complex care sons and daughters. And no hope on the horizon. Where is the justice? “
If this housing discrimination for our cohort of people is not addressed the problem will become insurmountable. Our sons and daughters will lose their parent(s) and their home in one go. What will happen to them?
CLA welcomes the opportunity to speak with Government Ministers and the NDIA. We are prepared to assist in any way that is required.
Marie Hell Secretary CLA Ltd