Wheelchair users and a semi-detached house ?

drphibes

Hello

I am seeking adivce on a problem that I am experiencing with a local housing association. Currently my girlfriend and I (both wheelchair users) are living in a bungalow that is rented from a private landlord, but the tenancy is only short term and therefore we are seeking a more lengthy lease via our local housing association. We have identified a 2 bedroomed semi-detached house nearby and despite all out best efforts we have been refused the oportunity to be considered for this property due to the simple fact that we are disabled. The association insist that they will only rehouse us in either a 2 bedroomed ground floor flat or another bungalow but these types of property in decent areas are not exactly plentiful. We have explained that we would be able to cope in the semi with a stair lift and that we had some savings that we would be able to use for such a aid but this did not help in our attempts to be considered for the house.

My question is can this association refuse us the chance to rehoused in this property purely and simply down to the fact that we both use wheelchairs ? I was under the impression that disabled people where supposed to be given more rights these days but the attitude that I have recieved has been nothing short of appalling.

Any help and advice would be more than welcome.

Thanks

Drphibes

BobProperty

Looking at it from the HA's point of view:
You are already in suitable accommodation.
Their house may (quite likely) need loads of work to comply with access issues.
What is their remit regarding who they are intended to be housing?

drphibes

BobProperty wrote: »

Looking at it from the HA's point of view:
You are already in suitable accommodation.
Their house may (quite likely) need loads of work to comply with access issues.
What is their remit regarding who they are intended to be housing?

Hi

Our current property is fine but the lease is only short term and at anytime the landlord can give us notice to leave and we would have 2 months to find a new home. To the best of out knowledge the house that we want to be considered for would not need a lot of work carried out to be ok for us. There is a ramp up to the front door (just like our current home) and other than the stairlift we would probably not require anything else. Like I stated earlier, we have said that we would cover the cost of the stairlift so financially the housing have nothing to really worry about. I think it is worth noting that in my talks with the association they have never really made a fuss over the cost of adaptions etc.

They are quite happy to rehouse us in a one level property but insist they will not consider us for any property with stairs.

Drphibes

silvercar

What would you do if the stair lift broke down?

A relative had a stair lift fitted last year and it was only done on the basis that he lives with an able bodied person.

BobProperty

drphibes wrote: »

..... would not need a lot of work carried out to be ok for us(1)...... in my talks with the association they have never really made a fuss over the cost of adaptions etc.(2)

They are quite happy to rehouse us in a one level property but insist they will not consider us for any property with stairs.(3)

Drphibes

(1)To comply with current reg you need overwidth doors and turning space IIRC.
(2)They haven't made a fuss over the costs because they haven't accepted that they are going to house you in this house.
(3)They also may have a policy relating to this point. e.g. any wheelchair users to be accommodated on ground floor only.

drphibes

silvercar wrote: »

What would you do if the stair lift broke down?

A relative had a stair lift fitted last year and it was only done on the basis that he lives with an able bodied person.

If the lift did breakdown then we could managed to climb the stairs while it was being repaired. I know my girlfriend had a stairlift for 15+ when she lived at home and that did not breakdown, it was serviced on a regular basis so I guess like any mechanical device that will help minimise the potential for problems.

Drphibes

wherediditallgo

BobProperty wrote: »

(1)To comply with current reg you need overwidth doors and turning space IIRC.
(2)They haven't made a fuss over the costs because they haven't accepted that they are going to house you in this house.
(3)They also may have a policy relating to this point. e.g. any wheelchair users to be accommodated on ground floor only.

I think you're right on item 3 in particular, as I asked a council about this for one of our clients at work. They said that if you're already one of their tenants, & later on the property needs modifications, they'll do them once your needs have been assessed. However, if you're not already one of their tenants, they will not allow you to apply for something that would need modifications for you to live there if they already provide accommodation that wouldn't, or if their existing policy allows them to provide accommodation that already meets your existing requirements. Yes, you would have to wait for the accommodation to become available, but you couldn't class that as unfair unless you could prove that you were being made to wait a much longer time than other people in the same position as you, given the amount of housing stock available.

The council told me that someone with mobility issues would be housed in either a ground floor property, or a flat with one flight of stairs (I can't remember the maximum number of steps) as access, such as the sort you get to a 1st floor flat in a house conversion, & only if the flat was in either somewhere with a caretaker/warden on site or they were living with an able-bodied person. A wheelchair-bound person wouldn't be considered for a house that needed modification for them to live there unless the council (a) had no suitable housing stock at ground floor level or with one flight of stairs available, & (b) the person had a medical/social need that gave them priority over anyone else who would need the house.

In addition, if they were already living somewhere suitable for their needs, the fact that the landlord might give them notice to leave wouldn't be considered a reason for them to be given accommodation of a different type from what they were living in now. A reason for that is that possible notice to leave is always something to be considered when you rent privately, & people could try to get the landlord to give them notice in the hope of then getting the council to give them a bigger/better property. The policy is therefore that if someone is being considered for housing, they will be considered on the basis of the size of the property they already live in unless they can show a medical or social need for something different eg if they were living in overcrowded accommodation. That applies to all applicants, whether they are disabled or not. I wouldn't be surprised if the housing association take a very similar view to the council.

drphibes wrote: »

Currently my girlfriend and I (both wheelchair users) are living in a bungalow that is rented from a private landlord, but the tenancy is only short term and therefore we are seeking a more lengthy lease via our local housing association.

OP, you're looking for a more secure home, & that's understandable. but with respect, that's not what the housing association or council is for. They're there to provide housing for those in need, & operate a waiting list or bidding system in order to allocate property as fairly as possible. As long as the property you're allowed to be considered for meets your needs (rather than your wants), I very much doubt that they'd be breaking any laws.

seven-day-weekend

Also, what happens when/if you move on? They are going to be restricted in who they can rent it to as most people who don't need one don't want a stairlift. It would therefore cost them money again to adapt it back.

drphibes

Thankyou for the replies.

I think the point being made regarding wheelchair users not being offered a property with stairs is exactly what is stopping us from being considered. What annoys me is they have no idea what we can and cannot do in our everyday existence. While they might have rules in place I cannot help feeling that they are not taking each individual person on a personal basis and instead if you happen to use a wheelchair you are not going to be considered. I persoanlly know a large number of friends who all live in properties with stairs and use verious types of stairlifts to enable them to live perfectly acceptable lives. Wheelchairs come in all types of sizes and I have never come across a doorway in my 40 years that I could not get through, yet I do know a few guys who would struggle to fit through various doors. I appreciate that if a stairlift was installed it would have to be removed if and when we did leave the property, I would have no objection to signing a document stating that I would cover the cost of the removal of the lift.

The thought of being served notice at anytime is a worrying one and one of my greatest fears is what kind of property would we be offered if the assocication had 2 months to rehouse us ? We have been on their list for over 3 years and have not been offered one single property so it does not appear that they have anything suitable for us in great numbers ?

Drphibes

BobProperty

drphibes wrote: »

I think the point being made regarding wheelchair users not being offered a property with stairs is exactly what is stopping us from being considered.

But that's their policy. If you want to hire a barrister and show it's wrong then go ahead. They have (hopefully) already had their properties assessed by an OT or similar who has recommended that only GF properties are used for wheelchair using tenants. You may not like their policy but they can easily argue that it is reasonable.
What other options are there in the area? Council? Other HAs?

drphibes wrote: »

.....Wheelchairs come in all types of sizes and....

The design guidance for them doesn't though, AFAIK.

drphibes wrote: »

I have never come across a doorway in my 40 years that I could not get through,....

I think you have been lucky, because I can think of several properties I've been in where you would have difficulty either getting a wheelchair through a door or manoeuvring it inside the house.

Debt_Free_Chick

I rather suspect they've done a risk assessment and concluded that there are too many risks associated with housing those with disabilities in a two-storey property. They have a duty and responsibility to offer housing that is considered to be suitable - not by those wanting the property - it has to appear to be suitable to any "other reasonable person".

If there were some dreadful incident, then I'm sure many people would question the wisdom of housing you in a two-storey property. Especially if, heaven forbid, one of you tumbled down the stairs and was then unable to call for help.

You might think they are being over-cautious, but I think I can see their reasoning (if indeed, this is their reasoning).