National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011 - 2016

needs. Furthermore, the potential for the inclusion of a suite of accessibility provisions tomake housing visitable for people with disabilities under social housing improvementprogrammes will be examined. As a longer term policy objective and in line with thecommitment in the Programme for Government to promote and support universal design, anexamination of lifetime housing policy will be undertaken which will also consider theaccessibility needs of wheelchair users and the increasing role of technology in supportingpeople with disabilities to live independently.___________________________________________________________________________STRATEGIC AIM 4To address the specific housing needs of people with an intellectual and/orphysical disability, moving from congregated settings in line with good practice,including through the development of frameworks to facilitate housing in thecommunity___________________________________________________________________________The strategy reflects proposals arising from the report of the HSE Congregated SettingsWorking Group which was established to develop proposals to deliver community based,person-centred responses for people living in congregated settings. These proposals willhave significant implications in relation to how the future housing needs of people withintellectual disabilities are addressed. The proposed closure of the congregated settings isexpected to take place over a 7 year period and will be supported by a multi agencyframework, thus ensuring that individual ongoing needs are effectively recognised andaddressed in order to facilitate the transition to community based, and in some cases,independent living. The full range of housing options available will be considered in order tomeet arising need and individual tenancy arrangements will be provided to everyone leavinga congregated setting whose support needs are capable of being met in community basedsettings. This framework will be supported by the development of specific guidance toassist housing authorities to manage the assessment and allocation process for peopleleaving congregated settings on a regional or national basis. For people with intellectualdisabilities living in the family home, ongoing liaison between housing authorities andrelevant support agencies will be strengthened to ensure more effective planning for futurehousing need.___________________________________________________________________________10