Housing and disabled people: a toolkit for local authorities in England

Housing and disabled people: a suite of toolkits for local authorities in England

Habinteg and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have produced a suite of toolkits to support delivery of quality homes and services to disabled people in England.

What do the toolkits include?

It includes information, checklists, questionnaires and best practice examples, with separate, downloadable guides focussing on:

providing and managing housing adaptations
the allocation of housing
planning for accessible homes
strategic planning
supporting tenants.

Who are the toolkits aimed at?

The toolkits are aimed at leaders and practitioners in:

housing allocations and adaptation
health and social care
tenant engagement teams
access officers
planning and housing strategy.

To view the whole suite of toolkits, click on the dropdowns below.

Housing and Disabled People: Adaptations

Local authorities are legally required to assist children and adults with home adaptations to address various impairments, neurodiversity, and mental health conditions.

This toolkit is designed to guide the planning and management of housing adaptations practice including use of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) for both private and Housing Association properties

Download Housing and disabled people: a toolkit for local authorities in England - adaptations.

Housing and Disabled People: Allocating Housing

The social housing allocation process must prioritise accessible homes for disabled people, who often depend on affordable housing and local support networks.

Training for allocations teams and simplified, accessible systems are essential to overcome barriers like complex procedures and limited information on housing accessibility. This toolkit is designed to guide housing allocation practice.

Download: Housing and Disabled People: Allocating Housing.

Housing and Disabled People: Planning for Accessible Homes

Building new homes is essential to increasing the availability of accessible, adaptable "lifetime" homes and wheelchair-standard housing. However, local authorities in England face significant challenges in developing these much-needed properties.

This toolkit is designed to underline the value of inclusive and accessible housing and support development of robust Local Plan policies for accessible homes.

Download Housing and Disabled People: Planning for Accessible Homes.

Housing and Disabled People: Strategic Planning

Housing must legally meet the needs of disabled people, reflecting the strong connection between housing, health, and social care. Beyond legal obligations, there is a clear practical case for building sufficient accessible housing. This toolkit is a guide to aligning housing policy with effective practice.

Download Housing and Disabled People: Strategic Planning.

Housing and Disabled People: Supporting Tenants

Local authorities must be able to offer housing support to disabled people, irrespective of the type of housing they live in. Sustaining tenancies should be a key priority. This toolkit is a guide to ensuring best practice on supporting and sustaining tenancies.

Download Housing and Disabled People: Supporting Tenants.