National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011 - 2016

5.6 Delivery methods have diversified with the growth in voluntary and cooperativehousing; innovative arrangements being applied to regeneration projects to broaden thehousing mix; housing being provided through Part V arrangements; use of the private rentalsector to meet social housing needs through the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) andthe Social Housing Leasing Initiative (SHLI), initially through housing authorities and nowalso through approved housing bodies.5.7 The introduction of more flexible housing supports such as RAS and leasing allowssocial housing provision to move from a reliance on construction/acquisition of units to amore graduated system of supports and more flexible delivery mechanisms. This allowshousing authorities to take account of changing household circumstances over time and atvarious stages of the lifecycle, recognising that the most effective way to meet a housingneed that exists at a particular point in time is not necessarily through a once off, orpermanent means of support.5.8 It is expected that RAS and leasing will, over the next number of years, take on amuch greater role as providers of mainstream social housing. Therefore, these schemes willbe increasingly important as options for people with disabilities. Another significant result ofthis development for people with a disability is the release of increased capital for meetingspecific needs categories, including people with a disability. In this regard, substantialcapital resources have been directed towards the most vulnerable and disadvantagedsectors, i.e. funding for specific needs housing provided by approved housing bodies andadaptation grants for people with a disability and older people.5.9 To take account of evolving housing market conditions as well as the deterioration ofthe public finances and the impact of this for the Social Housing Investment Programme(SHIP), the transition to a new social housing support system with significantly reducedreliance on traditional forms of provision, is being accelerated.Social Housing Leasing Initiative (SHLI)5.10 The SHLI, launched in 2009, represents an expansion of the options available to localauthorities for the delivery of social housing. Under the scheme, properties are leased fromowners and used to accommodate households on local authority waiting lists. Localauthorities enter into lease arrangements with property owners for periods of between 10 –20 years during which time properties will be tenanted, managed and maintained by localauthorities who guarantee and pay the rent for the duration of the lease. This approachallows the housing needs of more households to be met from within available resources,progresses the development of a flexible and graduated system of supports and progressesthe achievement of mixed tenure sustainable communities. The initiative has been49