National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011 - 2016

advocates (where appropriate) and disability services (statutory and voluntary) and otheragencies as required. Housing applications from people with disabilities must be activelymanaged by authorities and interagency cooperation should continue throughout theapplication process.Allocating Accommodation: Local authorities must be cognisant of engaging with otherstakeholders when allocating housing to applicants with disabilities, for example, with HSEmental health services for applicants with a mental health disability or liaising withoccupational therapy services when allocating housing to a person with a physical or asensory disability who requires particular adaptations. Local interagency protocols should bedeveloped between relevant stakeholders to facilitate this type of liaison on a formalisedbasis.Innovative responses: Housing authorities are not only the providers of traditional socialhousing options, but also act as catalysts to enable people with disabilities to access a rangeof appropriate housing solutions. Authorities are responsible for identifying housing need,determining, in conjunction with relevant agencies, the most appropriate individualisedsolution, and engaging with the relevant service providers in order to successfully meetidentified need. Formal interagency cooperation between all relevant stakeholders canassist in identifying innovative and individualised responses, where necessary. Theproposed Housing and Disability Steering Groups, as set out below, can act as a catalyst forthe development of such responses.7.5 Many people with disabilities require ongoing supports after they have obtained adwelling, e.g. personal, health and care services, tenancy supports, or community and socialsupports. Responsibility for the funding and delivery of these supports lies within the remitof various Departments and agencies and requires a more joined up approach than currentlyexists. The Support Costs Protocol, implemented in March 2011, sets out a framework forbetter coordination of capital and revenue funding for health service related support costsfor projects provided by approved housing bodies for people with disabilities. More broadlyit is recommended that a formalised engagement framework for the funding of housing andrelated supports is undertaken by relevant Departments as part of the multi-annualestimates process.Interagency protocols7.6 The primary statutory agencies involved in the delivery of housing and relevantsupports to people with disabilities are the housing authorities and the HSE. Many otheragencies also have key roles to play, including approved housing bodies, the Department ofSocial Protection, landlords and representative organisations of landlords, estate agents,74