Habinteg responds to Autumn Budget 2024 | Latest news

Habinteg Housing Association welcomes the Chancellor’s announcement of an additional £86 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget.

We have the oldest housing stock in Europe and adapting existing homes will continue to be an essential factor in meeting the housing needs of our ageing population.

However, to make most of the £500 million towards the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) funds and provide value for money, we strongly advocate that these resources be allocated specifically to projects meeting accessible and adaptable standards.

With nearly 1.8 million people in England requiring accessible homes, building accessible and adaptable homes will create long-lasting, adaptable housing and reduce the need for costly future modifications.

Accessible and adaptable homes can yield long term significant cost savings in both adaptations and health and social care.

Fitting the three most common adaptations in a standard build home can cost up to £27,000 – expenses often covered by the DFG for low-income households. Homes with accessibility and adaptation ready features provided from the outset reduce these costs substantially by making adaptations simpler and cheaper.

We call on the government to set a firm timeline for uprating accessible and adaptable housing regulations to future-proof new homes. Failing to act on this now limits independence for millions and creates long-term costs for public health and social services for future generations.

For further comment and enquiries, please contact Christina McGill, Director of Social Impact and External Affairs, on 07809 420 075.