NHS Gloucestershire is working with Gloucestershire County Council and the county’s housing partners to introduce an Accessible Housing Register (AHR) to help people with disabilities find social housing which meets their needs.
The Accessible Housing Register displays how accessible the available properties are, helping home seekers to find the best options for their needs. It also enables housing providers to better match available homes with people who require specialist adaptations or features, such as wider doorways, level access, or ground-floor living spaces.
Each home on the register is assigned a category from A (most accessible) to G (not yet assessed), indicating the level of accessibility. These categories will be displayed alongside property adverts on Home Seeker Plus, Gloucestershire’s housing allocation service.
The council has worked with several health and housing organisations to introduce the register which will be launched by Gloucester City Homes in the coming months, followed by Stroud District Council, Cheltenham Borough Homes, Two Rivers and The Guinness Partnership.
Cllr Dr Kate Usmar, cabinet member for adults’ support and independence at Gloucestershire County Council said: “We are committed to supporting people with care and support needs to live safely in their own homes for as long as possible. We know that the right adaptations can promote independence, reduce falls, improve wellbeing and prevent the need for long term care.
“The Accessible Housing Register is a fantastic resource which will help people with disabilities choose a home which meets their needs, and I would like to thank all members of the partnership who have worked together to make it possible.”
Mary Morgan, Programme Director for Housing, Health and Care at NHS Gloucestershire ICB and Gloucestershire County Council said: “We are incredibly excited to introduce the Accessible Housing Register, which represents a key milestone in our ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive Gloucestershire. This will make it easier for people living with disabilities to find homes that provide the support they need to live safely and comfortably.
“We are extremely grateful to the housing providers who have joined the initiative, as well as our partners across housing, health and social care. This is a true reflection of what can be achieved when we work together to meet the needs of our community.”
Guy Stenson, Chief Executive Officer at Gloucester City Homes (GCH) said: “People with disabilities find bidding for suitable properties challenging because the information on access they require is not available. Over the past two years, colleagues across GCH have been gathering the necessary information for our 5100 homes while undertaking stock condition surveys or preparing homes for reletting. The AHR is going to make things much more straightforward for customers. It will also help us better predict the future need for accessible housing.”