A new policy briefing from Advance is calling for the Homes and Communities Agency to ensure the HOLD (Home ownership for people with long term disabilities) shared ownership programme remains an option for disabled people beyond 2015; and a cross-governmental summit to highlight the benefits of shared ownership for disabled people and how many more people can benefit from its life- changing impact.
Press Release
The policy briefing points out that HOLD:
- Encourages independence of disabled people
- Reduces reliance on other types of institutional care
- Provides good value for money by decreasing hospital admissions and reducing social care packages
- Promotes community integration and diverse neighbourhoods.
Tim Cooper, chief executive of Advance, said:
“If the government is serious about the personalisation agenda, especially for more severely disabled people, then HOLD has a crucial role to play.”
The new policy briefing comes as Advance, a provider of housing, support and employment for disabled people and Disability Rights UK, the national user led disability organisation, launch a joint report on shared ownership housing for severely disabled people.
‘Space to live; how shared ownership can transform the lives of disabled people’ highlights the benefits of shared ownership for severely disabled people, who sometimes struggle with the limited housing and support options available to them.
Liz Sayce, chief executive of Disability Rights UK, said:
“At a time when services are being cut, it’s vital that disabled people have as many housing options as possible when it comes to living independently.”
The launch of the new report, and the policy briefing, comes as the Government begins the early stages of developing funding plans for housing for post-2015; and considers its response to a consultation on the future of Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), a key mechanism in the HOLD programme.
Tim Cooper added:
“The HOLD programme provides a cost-effective solution to the health, housing and support needs of disabled people. We need the Government to commit to its future, and now propose a cross-governmental summit to plan how we make shared ownership a reality for many more disabled people.”
Copies of ‘Space to live; how shared ownership can transform the lives of disabled people’, and the policy briefing, are available for download from https://www.advanceuk.org/services/shared-ownership
Notes: