Barriers at home: How London’s housing market fails disabled people | Policy blog

In this blog, Halima Yusuf, Campaigns and Engagement Officer at Habinteg Housing Association , reflects on key findings from Inclusion London’s Barriers at Home report, examining the significant challenges disabled people face in accessing suitable housing in London — and highlighting why embedding accessibility into future housing policy is essential.

England’s housing crisis is often linked with building more affordable, quality homes, but what does this really mean for the 16.1 million disabled people across the UK who may not be able to access those affordable, quality new homes due to poor accessibility?

Inclusion London’s new report, Barriers at Home , discusses the barriers to accessible and affordable housing for deaf and disabled people in London - and their impact - analysing how different housing tenures affect accessibility and affordability.

Sadly, it also paints an all too familiar and distressing picture of the state of England’s homes, local communities and social care.

Barriers to access & impact

The report reveals:

·       More than half of the 84 respondents felt isolated due to inaccessible housing, with a third reporting a loss of independence.

·       Nearly 1 in 4 lacked the necessary features to use the toilet safely, and 1 in 6 could not access a bath or shower, with many people experiencing worsening Health conditions due to inadequate heating and limited space for essential therapies.

·       Financial strain from high housing costs further contributed to chronic stress, anxiety, and the deterioration of existing health conditions.

·       The private rented sector is particularly unsuitable for many disabled people, with 1 in 3 respondents stating their doorways were too narrow and their homes lacked level access.

·       More than half of respondents said their local areas were not fully accessible, limiting their ability to participate in their communities.

At Habinteg, we believe that no one should have to live in a home that restricts their ability to live independently. Inclusion London’s report reinforces our urgent call for all new homes to be built to the M4(2) accessible and adaptable standard.

With 1.5 million new homes planned over the term of this Labour Government, we must seize this opportunity to ensure each of those homes is designed for inclusion.

Local authorities and policy gaps

The data used by local authorities and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to plan accessible housing and the challenges local authorities face in delivering accessible homes also comes under scrutiny in Inclusion London’s report .

Just how effective are London Plan policies and funding programs in increasing the supply of genuinely affordable, accessible housing, it asks. The answer? There is a lack of accurate data on housing accessibility needs that is preventing effective planning and delivery of accessible homes.

Habinteg believes that without well-resourced planning teams and thorough training for planners and building inspectors, new developments will continue to fall short of the M4(2) accessible and adaptable and M4(3) wheelchair user standards.

Stronger policies and proper enforcement are essential to break the cycle of inaccessible housing and ensure disabled and older people have homes that truly meet their needs. Also, the report reveals that many local authorities fail to meet the London Plan’s 10% wheelchair-user home target, treating it as a recommendation rather than a requirement.

Habinteg agrees with Inclusion London on stronger policies for accessible housing and in its Living not existing report calls for a revision of the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure all local plans include a clear policy and target for new wheelchair-accessible (M4(3)) homes. Where no local target is set, Habinteg propose that 10% of new homes should be required to meet this standard.

Barriers at Home reveals that:

• Accessible homes are declining:
  
  
• • M4(2) approvals dropped from 58% in 2018/19 to just 1.58% in 2022/23.
  • Where wheelchair standard homes are provided, many are built to adaptable rather than fully accessible wheelchair standards, leading to costly modifications later on.
    
    
• Rising costs and funding pressures play a part in the decline:
  
  
  • The report evidenced that disabled tenants in the private rented sector often avoid requesting adaptations due to fear of eviction or rent increases, showing that the Government’s £102m Disabled Facilities Grant won’t solve the issue if homes aren’t built with accessibility in mind from the start.
  • Councils face growing financial strain as adaptation needs increase due to our growing aging population.

Habinteg’s 2023 Forecast for Accessible Homes report , shows that 75% of new homes in England will still be built to the outdated M4(1) standard, failing to meet accessibility needs.

Meanwhile, Habinteg’s 2024 cost analysis shows that homes built to the M4(2) standard require fewer adaptations and are easier to adapt when the need arises, easing pressure on DFG and council funds.

Also, Habinteg highlights in their recent Habinteg budget submission 2025 that at an accessible home that supports independence can delay or eliminate the need for more costly residential settings. Average saving per week of residential setting: £970 per week.

Call for change

Barriers at Home is clear: London’s housing market is failing its disabled residents. It reasons that it’s important to ensure homes are not just affordable, but also accessible by:

• making accessible housing a priority in health and housing strategies
• increasing the supply of accessible social housing
• ensuring security for disabled private renters
• working closely with Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations to co-produce inclusive housing policies, that embed accessibility in the broader housing agenda.

And we agree. At Habinteg, we are in support of greater investment, stronger policies, and urgent, better enforcement of accessibility standards.

In London and across all regions disabled people face inequality and barriers in finding appropriate housing. It is imperative that all 1.5 million new homes are built to standards that will meet the needs of the ageing population and growing numbers of disabled people.

The former Government’s own consultation already found that 98% of respondents support raising the accessibility standard of all new build homes in England. So, Mrs Rayner, why not grasp this opportunity and build 1.5 million homes that everyone can call home.