For disabled people limited choices in accessible housing; difficulties in getting necessary housing modifications; a lack of control over their living situation results in some people living in inaccessible and unsafe homes, young disabled people living in retirement homes, and forcing some disabled people into homelessness.
Everyone needs a place to call home that is clean, warm, safe and accessible. There are choices but these may be limited, especially for some disabled people. Let’s have a look at some of the options.
Looking at buying your first home but not sure where to start? Kāinga Ora offers several products and resources that can give you a helping hand toward home ownership. Have a look at what could be right for you https://kaingaora.govt.nz/home-ownership/
If you can't afford a private rental, you may be able to live in public housing where the Government pays part of the rent. These are houses that are rented out by Kāinga Ora (used to be Housing New Zealand) and other Community Housing Providers. You need to meet certain criteria to qualify for public housing. If you apply, you may have to wait for a while until a suitable property becomes available.
Kāinga Ora provides State rental housing. They have committed to building at least 15% of new homes to their full universal design standards. They are also focused on providing modifications to their older homes as needed. This means that some of their homes will be accessible for most people.
Accessible Properties has a small number of affordable homes for rent. Many of these have been modified for accessibility.
There are lots of websites where you can look for private housing. It depends if you want to find your own place or flat with others.
It’s a good idea to check the market rent in the suburbs where you want to live. Then you can see roughly how much you'll need to pay. Market rent is how much most people are paying for rental properties in each area.
Find a property or look for flatmates - Trade Me
Find a rental - RealEstate.co.nz
Look for a flat - nzflatmates.co.nz
Find housing providers - Family Services Directory
Supported Living and Community Residential Support Services support disabled people to live independently in a safe and appropriate environment. Find out about each of these options and how they can be tailored to the level of support you need.
Supported Living and Community Residential Support Services are housing and living options that provide for different levels of independence.
A support worker can assist with tasks such as:
To access Supported Living, you need to talk to a Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) organisation. If you're eligible for support, you'll be provided with options for suppliers of services you need.
If you're interested in this service find a needs assessment service near you:
Community Residential Support Services are offered by Ministry-contracted providers to enable disabled people to live in a home-like setting within their community while receiving support for up to 24 hours a day. Staff are on hand in the homes to support people with all aspects of their daily lives.
The options available depend on:
If you're interested in this service find a needs assessment service near you here
Choice in Community Living offers disabled people more control over where you live, who you live with and how you are supported. It is an alternative to residential services and is for people with significant disabilities.
With Choice in Community Living:
Choice in Community Living is currently available in Auckland, Waikato, the Hutt, Otago and Southland regions only.
To access Choice in Community Living you must be:
One of the following situations must also apply:
If you would like to explore the option of Choice in Community Living, contact your local needs assessment service. They have experienced staff who can work with you and your family/whānau. They will discuss with you whether Choice in Community Living would be a good alternative to residential services.
They can also provide advice on what funding is available to financially support you.
If you have nowhere to stay tonight or in the next 7 days, Work and Income may be able to pay for you to stay in emergency housing.
When you apply, they will ask you about other housing options you might have, including:
They will look at other housing options first, before they pay for emergency housing.
If you qualify for emergency housing, you could stay in places like a boarding house, backpackers, or motel. It depends on your situation and what's available.
The Ministry of Social Development has contracts with transitional housing providers around the country to provide places for clients to stay for up to 12 weeks, while they look for more stable longer-term accommodation.
There are all sorts of reasons people might need transitional housing. Their rental property might have been sold, or they might have been staying with family but circumstances have changed and that’s no longer possible.
People using the transitional housing service are helped to find longer-term housing. In most cases, once they have secured a longer-term home, service providers also help them access other support, including Work and Income services, budgeting advice and health services.
People living in transitional housing pay rent of up to 25per cent of their income, in line with income-related rents for public housing and Emergency Housing Special Needs Grants (EHSNG). The rest of the costs are paid by Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga - Ministry of Housing and Urban Development(HUD).
Approved social service providers manage transitional housing and are responsible for making sure the properties are warm, dry and well-maintained.
Find out more here
House Modification Funding is a payment which helps someone pay for changes to their home because they or their child have a disability.
You can only get House Modification Funding if you are assessed as needing the house modification. Whaikaha - Ministry for Disabled People makes this decision.
How much you can get depends on:
To find out more about assessment for housing modifications visit Enable New Zealand
Whether purchasing a home or renting there are certain rights that everyone has to protect them. Some disabled people may be more vulnerable to having their rights breached so it is important that we all learn how to protect ourselves.
The Residential Tenancy Act 1986 provides protections which apply to:
The protections in the Residential Tenancies Act cover you unless your case comes under one of the specific exceptions that the Act sets out. We’ve summarised the main ones here.
The protections in this Act don’t cover you if you’re living with the:
You’re also not covered if you’re staying in one of the following kinds of places:
You can find out more about your rights and protections under the Act by visiting Community Law
Purchasing a home of your own is exciting but it can also be quite stressful, particularly if issues arise with the seller or the real estate agent. It is important to know what your rights are so you are able to deal with any issues and have a happy outcome.
Consumer Protection provides some very helpful information:
Contact the Disability Information Centre in the area for information on local options.
