Home ownership in the UK for people with intellectual disabilities Ken Simons,Norah Fry Research Centre Based on report called ‘Pushing open the Door’. Supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Pictures by Change

A failure to give the right advice: the story of Mavis ‘I know they used to look after us - buy us clothes ad take us on holidays and all that - but, I wouldn’t want to go back there no more’ –‘Mavis Jones’ after leaving residential care for own flat. Mavis had some money. We should have suggested she buy her home!

Some UK Housing Context Most ( 2 / 3 rds ) UK citizens own their own home. There is little or no rented housing in some communities Government subsidies for home ownership for low income families…..but there is still significant support for a ‘social housing for rent… and ‘Housing Benefit’ provides significant support for the rented sector

Some context and people with intellectual disabilities Very few people live in their own home Most public provision for people takes the form of ‘residential care: –congregate –provides fewer rights –housing and support entangled –relies on ‘special’ and limited funding mechanisms (no Housing Benefit)

..and….. there is a significant shortfall in provision (of whatever form) the group that has probably lost out most are those who continue to live in the family home very few people have access to direct payments to manage the support they get at home.

Home ownership and people with learning difficulties Most ownership through inheriting property. But… did find –a couple earning enough to buy a home –a couple using welfare benefits to pay a mortgage Nigel King’s Ownership Options report –six examples of different approaches to home ownership

Housing Options A small independent advisory service designed to help open up housing and support choices for people with learning difficulties, providing: –information and advice to families, advocates, and individual professionals supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities –technical advice and consultancy for agencies interested in innovation – families and other supporters organisations

What did people want help with?

Advice provided about: a very wide range of issues… …but particularly… –ownership (including ‘shared’ ownership) – renting (tenancy agreements and access to social housing) – Housing Benefit and the use of welfare benefits to cover the interest on a home loan

..as well as: – legal issues (including legal capacity and the use of Trusts) –getting support organised (finding appropriate providers, assessments and ‘care management’)

‘Shared’ ownership? Part buying, part renting –An eligible individual approaches a housing agency that offers shared ownership –he or she identifies a suitable property –the agency buys the property (usually using subsidy) –and sells a share to the individual –the individuals gets a loan for their share, and pays rent on the rest

The 4 keys issues and shared ownership Covering the costs of buying –combinations of help from families, ‘soft loans’ from agencies (some ‘unofficial’), and some 100% loans Paying continuing cost of ownership –use Housing Benefit to cover rent –use additional welfare benefits (Income Support) to cover the interest on the home loan

Maintaining the property over the longer term –built-in relationship with housing organisation –with the right legal agreements in place, Housing Benefit may cover some maintenance costs –Income Support may provide additional loans for repairs. Managing crises –very flexible with built-in risk sharing Cont…..

and the disadvantages... To use benefit route you have to be eligible for Income Support –effectively rules out working unless earning enough to replace most housing costs You are not the sole owner! The use of Government subsidies brings many restrictions

Outright ownership We did find a few examples (all in Scotland) –Combination of innovative agency (Inclusion Glasgow) plus specialist advice had meant: ownership used as part of closure of an institution…...for people with very considerable support needs...using ‘sleeping equity’ from a National Health Service Agency

Some significant successes By late 1999 able to identify around a hundred individuals now owning homes, with expectations for more to follow – though much larger numbers coming through ‘programmes’, rather than individual professionals or families doing it on their own. –risk that some people are in the programme because ‘its there’, rather than because home ownership is the best option for them

But... Equally clear that the provision of information and advice (no matter how good) will only take you so far: ‘Advice undoubtedly right in principle, but getting local services to accept it or act on it the problem’.

Or slightly less politely... ‘Someone who could have put a laxative up the bowels of social services would have been a boon’

Particular difficulties included: the complexity: –getting the housing sorted (loan, benefits, buying costs, etc) – with a support provider –and a care manager... …lined up in the same place, at the same time, and pointing in the same direction took a lot of determination and persistence

Other barriers: the lack of local information about what is possible (as opposed to available) a reluctance of commissioners to consider alternatives to residential care concerns about the costs/affordability of supported living lack of local expertise

...barriers (cont.) some ideological opposition to home ownership concerns about legal capacity worries about ‘unregulated services’ little strategic planning for change direct payments still a limited option for people with learning difficulties

So…. If we really want to change things we will need to: –promote self-determination –develop more extensive independent information and advice. –achieve some significant systems change –ensure sufficient resources –use existing resources more flexibly and efficiently

…and... –explore idea of mortgage products geared to people’s needs –ensure the housing needs of people with learning difficulties are reflected in housing plans –promote better commissioning of support, including developing more effective strategic planning at a local level. –explore and develop ideas through strategic demonstration projects

For further information me: or Nigel King: Web sites: – – –