Have we won the case for more accessible homes? | Policy blog

Chartered Institute for Housing's Senior Policy and Practice Officer, Sarah Davis, writes about the Government's recent decision raising accessibility standards for all new homes in England and the positive impact it will have on disabled people.

In the long campaign to increase the availability of accessible homes, there was cause for quiet celebration a few weeks ago. 

Without any fanfare the Government finally published a response to its consultation on improving the accessibility of new homes and committed to raising accessibility standards for all new homes in England. It means that, soon, all new homes will have to be built to the higher accessible and adaptable standard – Building Regulations Part M4 cat2 – and only limited exceptions to this will be allowed.

The exact starting date for this depends on further consultation around some of the technical details, plus allowing for a transitional period for homes already in progress. We hope that this will be taken forward urgently, given the pressing need for more suitable homes for older and disabled people:

• Research for Habinteg revealed that 55 per cent of people thought that, if they were to be physically disabled, their current home would not be suitable or adaptable, requiring them to move to a new home.
• The Centre for Ageing Better point to the one million households identified in the English Housing Survey that do not currently have the adaptations they need.
• And over 400,000 people wheelchairs users are in homes that are neither accessible or adaptable.
   

Level playing field

Making the accessible and adaptable standard mandatory will create a level playing field for all developers, instead of it being lost to arguments over viability. Planning for more accessible homes will be more consistent across the country, rather than hit and miss.

For example, Habinteg’s Forecast for accessible homes 2020 revealed that no local plan in the West Midlands required the higher standard in homes due for construction between 2020-30. Stretched local planning teams will now be able to focus on assessments of needs for wheelchair housing to include in local plans.

Other positive signs include the drive to integrate housing with health and care strategies under the new statutory Integrated Care Systems.

The Government’s adult social care reform white paper, People at the heart of care, recognised the importance of increased housing options for older and disabled people, with a particular focus on new homes and supported housing.  

Options for disabled people

It committed government investment to developing strategies that maximise the potential for housing to support health and wellbeing and to prevent the escalation of increased care needs – an accessible home is a fundamental element of a healthy home, and vital for people to receive and give care safely too.

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, in its recent report, urged government to go further, with a call to establish a task force for disabled people’s housing alongside the one on older people’s housing which has already been announced.

Meanwhile, a government consultation on making adaptations to common parts of let residential properties will help to extend that focus on existing properties too – as long as the support, advice and funding is available to help people to do so.

So, after several years of campaigning by the Housing Made for Everyone (HoME) coalition and others, at last the argument seems to be won on the benefit and value of more accessible homes. Now we just need to make sure that it’s delivered, and we build homes fit for our future.