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Action for More
Independence & Dignity
in Accommodation
1st Floor, Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000
Phone: 9650 2722 Fax: 9654 8575 Email: amida@amida.orq.au Website: www.amida.orq.au Inc No: A001608SV ABN: 32 993 870 380
Advocacy, Self Advocacy, Rights, Accessibility, & Community Living for People with a
Disability
Disability Royal Commission Submission - a snapshot of the housing issues experienced by people with disabilities in Victoria (incorporating public and community housing and private rental).
AMIDA supports people with a disability as valued members of our community. AMIDA recognises that people with disability contribute to and develop our community.
AMIDA acknowledges that people with disability have a right to a choice of who they live with and where they live. Further, people with disability have a right to good quality housing which is accessible, affordable and non-institutional. People with disability have a right to live in the community with access to support to participate and have a good quality of life.
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Our Mission
AMIDA is an independent advocacy organisation which advocates for good housing for people with disability. We provide advocacy to individuals, with priority given to people with an intellectual disability, and advocate for change in systems which prevent people from achieving good housing.
AMIDA strongly supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability and works to assert these rights and community inclusion for people with a disability.
Housing is important for people with disabilities
Housing plays an important role in the lives of people with disabilities. Research has shown that housing is a key determinant in the health and wellbeing outcomes of people with disabilities.
“The availability of affordable, sustainable and appropriate housing helps people with disability to participate in the social, economic and community aspects of everyday life” (The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2022: 202).
The housing crisis and people with disabilities
It is well established that Australia is currently in the midst of a housing crisis. Rent affordability is at an all-time low. The waiting list for public
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housing is longer than ever. And more Australians are finding themselves either homeless or at risk of homelessness.
For people with disabilities, the high cost and competition for private rentals has made securing housing a challenge. If they do secure a private rental property, people with disabilities are forced to spend a significant proportion of their household income on rent. The consequence being insufficient money left to pay for other living costs.
Recent statistics estimate that 32% of (or 84,000) Australian households receiving commonwealth rent assistance and the disability support pension were in rental distress. In this context, rental distress was classified as households who spend 30% or more of their income on rent (The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022).
Public and community housing is struggling to keep up with demand. In March 2022, the Victorian general waiting list for public housing had 54,945 applications (Wong, 2022). The Victorian Public Tenants Association estimate this accounts for about 110,000 people waiting for housing (Wong, 2022).
This statistic is even more alarming when you take into consideration the vital importance of public housing as an option for people with disabilities. It is estimated that 42% (or 110,000) of the existing public housing households in Australia have at least one person with a disability (The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022).
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The reality - housing stories of people with disabilities
The fallout is that people with disabilities are forced to live in housing that is inappropriate, inaccessible and at risk of abuse.
The section will outline the stories of people with disabilities who have recently sought housing advocacy from AMIDA. It is hoped that these stories will bring a deeper understanding of the housing issues people with disabilities are facing. The housing issues chosen are some of the most frequently reported to AMIDA. Names of individuals have been changed for privacy purposes.
- Inaccessible Housing Inaccessible housing can often happen at the start of a person’s housing journey. People are assigned public or community housing that does not meet their access needs. Of further concern is that resolving access issues is often not a priority for the relevant housing providers.
For people with disabilities who live in community housing there is an additional barrier. Community housing providers do not have access to funding for modifications. While it is true that NDIS participants can use their funds for such modifications, only 10% of people with a disability are accepted onto the NDIS (The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022).This leaves an enormous gap for many residents living in community housing who need disability modifications.
Case Example -’—–·A -· - – – . ———– – –·-1
A I is a wheelchair user and has occasional seizures. i A
was placed on the priority register for public housing. She was offered
two places that did not meet her access needs. i A i was hopeful
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that the Office of Housing would listen to her feedback and that the third
property would be more suitable. It wasn’t.
' A |had little choice but to move into the third property. If she
didn’t, A's | housing application would go to the bottom of the list
and she would have to start the waiting process again. In Victoria this
would be about a 7 to 9 year wait.
Access issues for A | include doorways that are too narrow for a
wheelchair. And the property is cramped. There is insufficient room to store all the items A _/ needs to manage her disability. Due to the
cramped conditions, ena A | | does not feel able to have support
workers in her home. For example, AS cannot fit into the kitchen
at the same time as a support worker.
| A's hot water service is limited. It runs out after 5 minutes. As a
wheelchair user, j_ A! “takes some time to transfer herself into the
shower.
- Unsafe Housing The high cost and competition for private rental has led some people
with disabilities to live in unsafe housing situations.
Furthermore, the high demand for disability advocacy services such as those that AMIDA provides can mean that people in such situations
cannot access support.
B is 34 years old and lives with physical and psychosocial disability.
~B has found it hard to find somewhere to live that feels like home, is
Ane to shops and public transport.
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Bo was living on her own in private rental but finding the cost too
much. It was difficult to make ends meet.: B decided to find a place that was more affordable. She found a granny flat located at the back of a house, which was cheaper and close to shops. After a successful
application, : BS | moved in.
In the first year things went well. B felt welcome and safe. However,
recently the owners of the house informed B that they needed to use
a room in the granny flat to store items. Items were then moved into this
room, but there was no reduction to! B’ s rent.
The male owner of the house is using the excuse of having items stored
in the granny flat as a reason to linger. This male has started to sexually
harass| B i and abuse her. The male has informed B :not to tell
anyone and that nobody would believe her. : Bo i has spiralled into
depression and is unsure about what to do.
- Inappropriate Housing It is very common for people with disabilities to have so few housing options that they have to live in unsuitable accommodation. This includes living in places such as caravan parks and having to share
small living spaces.
Case Example - Cand D
| C landhis son: D- “have lived ere laf since | D's _ {mother
passed away when he was 12 years old. f co | lives with a
psychosocial and a hidden physical disability. “D_ _lalso has a
psychosocial disability. Both receive NDIS funding.
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C !was living interstate when his partner passed away. He decided
----------' to move with i D i to Melbourne.i C j found a job and i D
slotted into school.
In about 2019, I C's i physical health was having an impact on his
ability to work 5 days week. This led to the loss of his employment.! ·—–·-·—––·—·-· ––, ;
; C I had savings which were used to keep things going while! D'········-
was in the last year of school.
Fast forward a few years and I D and C !are now living in a '-----------_-_---:::::'.______,
one-bedroom portable unit in a caravan park.i'----C -==-----,! is sleeping on a fold out bed in the lounge room of the tiny dwelling.i D !whom is now
a young adult sleeps in the bedroom. ——D and C both receive the Disability Support Pension but with the rising rental costs in Melbourne, this is not enough money to get them a house or semi-attached dwelling with two bedrooms. The mid-term prospect is to move into another caravan park where they can access a two-bedroom portable housing unit. The long-term hope is
to secure public or social housing. i D and C i will have to wait
until something becomes available. When that is, no one knows. I 1
i C's l physical and mental health are deteriorating. i D's
psychosocial disability is also being negatively impacted by the housing situation.
- Unsafe and hazardous living conditions More recently, AMIDA has received a growing number of requests from people with disabilities living in unsafe housing due to mould and damp. Mould is a health risk, particularly for people with multiple health conditions and disabilities.
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r -· -·-·-·— ·- ·-·-· -·- · -· - 1
Case Example - i E
! E ! lives in a community housing. Her disabilities include chronic fatigue, chronic inflammatory response syndrome and fibromyalgia. l has also been diagnosed with having a genotype making it ___ E__J difficult for the immune system to process mould.
Every day is a shifting proposition. For example, the Fibromyalgia can be debilitating and require medication as well as time out from
stimulation. On other days, i E ! is able to get by.
After moving into the community housing j E ! noticed her health
declining. She couldn’t put a finger on why. Eventually the culprit was
discovered, there was excess mould in the house. i E i had the house
tested by independent parties, two building biologists. Mould was identified at above the normal acceptable limit. ,._ ……_… …,.
Knowing that public or community housing is difficult to come by, j E f -·---'
is nervous at the thought of having to look for a new place and move.
Moving is never easy, especially when you have a disability. !__ ____ E has _J
approached the Victorian State Government and the NDIS however, an
appropriate solution to her housing situation is still pending. !______E ___ feels .J
stuck, left in review and lost in the system.
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AMIDA recommendations
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For the Government to prioritise the building of new public housing stock.
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A better commitment by the Government and housing providers to maintain the quality of the current public and community housing stock. This includes making repairs in a timely manner.
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To ensure that people with disabilities are consulted when planning any new public housing developments. This would lead to better housing outcomes for people with disabilities, for example, better accessible design.
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To increase the funding of independent disability housing advocacy services. At present organisations like AMIDA are overwhelmed with requests and unable to meet demand. Many people with disabilities are not able to access the unique and skilled housing advocacy provided by AMIDA.
Additional funding would mean increased capacity for disability advocacy organisations to provide information, advice and direct assistance for people with disabilities.
- For funding to be available to enable the access needs of people with disabilities living in public and community housing to be better met. A specific emphasis on people with disabilities who do not qualify for the NDIS.
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References
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The Australian Institute of Health Welfare (2022) https://www.aihw.gov.au/
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Wong, Leanne (2022) Victoria is spending billions on affordable housing, but it isn’t keeping up with demand. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-12/victorian-public-housing big-build-demand/101145128