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Social Exclusion, Disability and Housing in Australia: Understanding the Connections

Social Exclusion, Disability and Housing in Australia: Understanding the Connections. Andrew BEER, Selina TUALLY, Debbie FAULKNER and Pauline MCLOUGHLIN. Introduction. Three key questions: What is the impact of disability on the lifetime experience of housing in Australia?

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Social Exclusion, Disability and Housing in Australia: Understanding the Connections

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  1. Social Exclusion, Disability and Housing in Australia: Understanding the Connections Andrew BEER, Selina TUALLY, Debbie FAULKNER and Pauline MCLOUGHLIN

  2. Introduction • Three key questions: • What is the impact of disability on the lifetime experience of housing in Australia? • How does social inclusion or social exclusion interact with housing and disability in Australia? • What are the impacts of current policy frameworks?

  3. Housing and Disability in Australia • Housing Transitions • Outcomes for Households Affected by Disability Reconceptualising Disability and Housing SOUTHERN RESEARCH CENTRE

  4. Figure 1. Changed Life Histories and Changing Housing Careers SOUTHERN RESEARCH CENTRE

  5. SOUTHERN RESEARCH CENTRE

  6. SOUTHERN RESEARCH CENTRE

  7. SOUTHERN RESEARCH CENTRE

  8. SOUTHERN RESEARCH CENTRE

  9. SOUTHERN RESEARCH CENTRE

  10. Social Inclusion and Housing • Election of Rudd Labor Govt in 2007 resulted in significant new commitments to housing, disability and social inclusion • Establishment of a national Social Inclusion Board • Significant additional expenditure on disability programs and income support • New investment in, and forms of engagement with, social housing – NAHA, NRAS and the AHF

  11. Insights from Respondents: Housing and Employment • Few carers or persons with a disability work • But Australia is a workfare state! • High cost metropolitan housing markets result in assignment to either non-metropolitan regions or the metropolitan fringes • Both result in reduced access to employment for both carers and the disabled • In turn further reduces income • Households affected by a disability measurably less active in the housing market since 2000

  12. Insights from Respondents:Social Housing and Rental Housing • Social housing is a scarce resource • Public housing is rare, private rental expensive • Presence of a disability may provide expedited access to subsidised public housing • But public housing is frequently run down, in locations remote from employment opportunities, and may be in placeswith high levels of violence “They have mixed in people with every problem and disability in there. There is lots of drug and sexual abuse”.

  13. Insights from Respondents: Psychiatric Disability • Persons with a psychiatric disability complained about their neighbours but stressed that some were good while one or two could make life “like hell”. • Others said that where they lived was like “the Bronx”– a public housing estate with a mix of generally low income residents and people with disabilities. Many fitted into both categories. • The noise of conflicts a major challenge. As one said, “The flats are so close and other people have nervous breakdowns”. • Most of the participants who had a psychiatric disability were currently living in Office of Housing accommodation or were living in private rental housing which was located close to public housing and problem neighbours. Most of these people live or have lived in public housing for long periods of time.

  14. Insights from Respondents: Private Rental • Private rental is expensive and insecure, with many households affected by disability paying more than 60 per cent of income on rent • "I’d be stuffed without public housing, there is no way in the private rental market I could keep up my private health insurance and without that I’d be back in the public mental health system waiting [for referrals and appointments"'I don't know how I’d survive in the private rental market, probably wouldn't, no, I definitely couldn't! • “it doesn’t matter what disability you have, the landlords and the real estate agents treat you terribly”.

  15. Insights from Respondents: Appropriateness of Stock • Many socially excluded by inappropriate, poor quality of accommodation • "the bonus of housing trust is that I have been able to have modifications done to the house: ramps, grab rails and magnets to hold the doors open, this has improved my life and accessibility heaps" But... • “you can wait a long time” and “everything is a compromise”’

  16. Insights from Respondents: Work, Services and Community Engagement • Housing available to persons with a disability is often remote from employment and other services • Eg in South Australia reasonably large stock of public housing in the regional city of Murray Bridge. But local further education provider mainly offers building courses not be sought by women, and those with mobility or other physical disabilities • Treatment from medical professionals is challenging in many locations with affordable housing , and particularly a problem for some people with mental health issues. “the GPs just don't listen to me. They treat my like Im just a piece of shit basically and its not fair...even if I need to see them for something that isn't a mental health issue, they tell me its all in my head and to go away and see my psychiatrist" • Consequently, she travels to Adelaide for services, at great cost and a 6 week wait for a doctor anyway.

  17. Conclusions: Disability, Social Inclusion and Housing • Disability interacts with housing to shape social inclusion outcomes in Australia • Positive effects: • Better access to social housing • Affordable • A secure tenure • A more understanding landlord • Greater scope for modifications to dwellings

  18. Conclusions: Disability, Social Inclusion and Housing • Adverse effects • Many in the private rental sector pay more than high 60% of household income for accommodation • Often in poor quality housing • Often in insecure housing • Access to social housing may have perverse impacts • Places disabled people in the most disadvantaged communities in Australia • Low levels of social capital • Higher risks of physical assault • Reduced access to employment opportunities • Greater distance to services • Lower levels of access to public transport • Locale affects that may exacerbate their own disability

  19. Conclusions: Disability, Social Inclusion and Housing • Rudd Government invested significant new funds into disability sector in 2008-09 • Mainly income support and enhanced packages for ‘high needs’ persons • The housing task remains incomplete • Social inclusion also has disappeared as a priority of government • Specialist housing providers emerging, but small relative to the problem • Loss of carers remains a significant challenge

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