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How do we make affordable homeownership accessible for disabled people?
Our shared ownership scheme can make a world of difference for people’s health and independence, but we need other providers to get on board, writes Graeme Jackson, head of investment and development at Advance Housing and Support
Graeme Jackson is head of investment and development at Advance Housing and Support
How do we make affordable homeownership accessible for disabled people? #UKhousingOur shared ownership scheme can make a difference for people’s health and independence, but we need other providers to get on board, writes Graeme Jackson at Advance Housing and Support #UKhousingHomeownership remains a distant dream for many people in the UK. Yet for people who need support due to long-term disabilities, the obstacles to achieving this dream can seem insurmountable. Everyone has the right to a safe and happy place to call home, so a disability shouldn’t be a barrier to that.
Having provided housing and support for people living with a disability or mental health condition for over 50 years, we’re also the main provider of the government-backed shared ownership scheme called Home Ownership for People with Long-term Disabilities (HOLD).
Recognising the limited housing options available to customers, we commissioned research in the mid-1990s on how people with learning disabilities and enduring mental ill health could be supported to become homeowners. We worked with stakeholders, such as the then Housing Corporation and Department for Work and Pensions, to develop a grant funding regime to support a shared ownership scheme, which we launched in 1998.
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The first Advance shared ownership customer moved into their home in 1999. Since then, we’ve explored different funding models to establish the current HOLD scheme, supporting more than 1,000 customers in achieving their goal of purchasing their first home during that time.
HOLD works like other shared ownership schemes in many ways. Customers part-buy and part-rent their home from us and can increase their ownership share over time. What makes it different from traditional new build schemes is that customers can choose to buy a home available on the open market in an area where we already operate. This enables them to live somewhere that’s most suited to them and close to their support network of family and friends. It also means we can help maintain the home with repairs, cyclical work and servicing.
With our experience of supporting people with long-term disabilities, we’ve developed HOLD to ensure it can support people with a variety of needs. Many customers are moving from living situations that are uncertain and unsuitable. They may be looking to move out of family homes, shared accommodation, hospitals, or care facilities.
We see the transformative impact this scheme has on individuals and their families. People’s support needs may change over time, but feeling happy, safe and settled in their own home provides a stability that often leads to a reduced need for GP appointments, social care or hospital visits.
Homeownership also gives customers a sense of independence, freedom and confidence to thrive and build a life they enjoy. Many Advance customers feel settled and integrate into their local communities by taking on volunteer roles and part-time jobs, or using their hobbies to contribute to local events.
Not only does HOLD benefit customers, the scheme also benefits our organisation. As a small housing association, it contributes to our development programme by growing the number of homes we manage by 45 to 50 homes a year. This also minimises the challenges that come with new developments.
Acquiring homes in areas where we already operate allows us to grow our asset base and provide more homes in areas that customers love. Our work with HOLD has also resulted in excellent relationships with Homes England, NHS England and other funding agencies.
“Feeling happy, safe and settled in their own home provides a stability that often leads to a reduced need for GP appointments, social care or hospital visits”
Along with the opportunities, there are inevitable challenges. Buying homes on the open market puts us at the mercy of the sector’s unpredictability. Managing the repairs service work for shared ownership homes also brings its own issues. We must adhere to leaseholder legislation, which is not designed for one-off properties.
We receive several hundred enquiries about HOLD each year, resulting in more than 100 applications. However, we can only deliver around 45 such homes, and only in areas where we work.
Advance’s HOLD scheme was named overall winner, as well as ‘Most Innovative Home Ownership Solution’ at the National Housing Awards 2018. Judges described HOLD as an “inspirational” service that they would like to see rolled out throughout UK. Yet, we are still the only housing provider to offer the scheme so consistently, at scale and for such a wide range of customers.
To help meet the huge demand and make the most of the available funding, we are keen to see other registered providers get involved. By extending the scheme’s influence, we can work together to make homeownership an achievable dream for those most in need of somewhere safe and secure to live the life they choose.
Graeme Jackson, head of investment and development, Advance Housing and Support
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