Housing options failing the disabled community

The sorry state of housing options suitable for people living with a disability, and a report on ways to make things better, has kept policy intern Airam Magpantay busy over the past three months.

The BA (Hons) student in the University’s Faculty of Arts has just completed an internship with disability advisory service Disability Connect, organised by the University’s Public Policy Institute.

During her time with the service, whose mission is to lead and influence positive change for people with disabilities and their families, she completed a report looking at housing options in Aotearoa, to what degree they limit people with disabilities from living fulfilling lives, and what would make the most difference for them.

“My report highlights a significant disparity in the housing experiences of disabled and non-disabled people, which has negatively impacted their physical, mental, and social well-being and hindered their community resilience,” she says.

“Disabled people and their families are disproportionately affected by the inaccessibility of homes in New Zealand, with only an estimated two percent of all homes listed for sale being fully accessible.”

She says disabled people, whether living alone or with their family, are also more likely to live in homes that are cold, damp and mouldy, increasing their exposure to health risks like respiratory infections.

“New Zealand's general housing shortage also forces many disabled people into emergency housing, homelessness or prolonged waits for social housing, which ultimately exacerbates the existing challenges of living with a disability, and further disables people.”

Airam’s report calls for legislative reforms to improve accessibility standards, not only for public housing, but also for new private residential builds.

“It also advocates for the introduction of an incentive system at the local government level,” she says, “to encourage the construction or renovation of homes that meet accessibility standards and emphasises the need for increased awareness and practical knowledge within the building sector, as well as among consumers, of universal design principles and accessibility.”

Airam also contributed to a submission to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), advocating for accessibility incentives in its new 'granny flat' policy.

“Granny flats can serve as excellent alternatives for families with disabled children or elderly relatives who might otherwise consider residential care or be forced to cope with inaccessible homes,” says Airam.

“Our submission proposed allowing owners to increase the size of granny flats by a further 15 percent while still receiving the same benefits outlined in the proposal.

"That increase, we believe, would allow for better mobility around the granny flat unit for wheelchair users, as well as allow for the construction of fully accessible one or two-bedroom units, or wet-area bathrooms.”
 

They also suggested that extra incentives should be provided to owners who build their granny flats to meet a certain level of accessibility, like subsidised home loan interest rates.

“Overall, our submission's recommendations would help better address the needs of families with disabled and elderly family members, making granny flats a more viable housing option for families looking for accessible, multi-generational living spaces,” she says.

And as someone whose honours dissertation focused on New Zealand foreign policy and international relations theory, Airam says her emphasis has always been on what’s going on overseas, but the internship opened her eyes to issues closer to home.

“My time at Disability Connect has made me realise the importance of examining what’s happening within our country and its communities, and I’m incredibly grateful to the organisation and the University for providing me with this opportunity.”

She particularly wants to thank Disability Connect CEO Mike Potter and senior lecturer Dr Tim Fadgen at the Public Policy Institute.

“Mike, for his continuous feedback and guidance throughout my internship, and Tim for supporting me and all the other interns this past semester.

“The lessons I’ve learned will undoubtedly shape my future endeavours and I’m excited to apply the skills and knowledge gained from this experience to whatever comes next.”