Housing

People with disabilities are more likely to rely on local authority housing than other citizens - 12.8% compared to 8.3% of the public at large - and constitute about one in ten residents in public housing. There is strong evidence to show that on average, people with disabilities have fewer educational qualifications and poorer employment prospects than others. People born with a disability or who have experienced onset of a disability by early adulthood are more likely to be economically vulnerable and to depend on the state for a permanent home. The right to adequate housing has its origins in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the international conventions that followed. In particular the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) (2006) which was ratified by the Government in 2018 further elaborates on the meaning of the right to adequate housing as it relates to persons with disabilities.

The type of housing we build, how it is designed and where it is located all impact on the individual. The long-term benefits from housing, following a Universal Design approach, could realise savings to the State in health and social care, could help alleviate the challenges presented by climate change and could help improve the well-being and fabric of communities that are appearing to become more disjointed and individualised. The National Disability (NDA) has been engaging with many stakeholders including local authorities and the Department on the adoption of a Universal Design approach to housing. We welcome the recent commitment by that Department, and the Department of Health, in their recent Housing Options for Our Ageing Population Policy Statement[1] to:

In partnership with industry, introduce measures to ensure that over a five year period delivery is increased to ensure that 30% of all new dwellings are built to incorporate universal design principles to accommodate our ageing population.

This is an important precedent that should also prove to be important for persons with disabilities. The NDA will continue to engage with professional bodies, like the RIAI, and third-level institutions, like the Technological University of Dublin, in order to embed a Universal Design approach in the relevant academic and professional courses, in order to provide the skilled practitioners that will be required to plan, design and construct Universal Design homes.

The NDA is also aware of the particular needs of persons with mental health difficulties and the needs of persons with autism. We have previously published guidance for persons with mental health difficulties in the form of Social Housing and People with Mental Health Difficulties[2], as well as guidance for local authority housing officers in relation to assisting people with autism[3].

The need for Universal Design homes

The 2016 Census indicates that 643,131 people in Ireland had a disability. That is 13.5%, or 1 in 7 of the population in Ireland that has a disability. This represented an increase of 47,796 persons (8%) on the 2011 figure of 595,335.

Like other countries, our population is living longer and the number of older persons is growing. It is expected that the numbers of persons with disabilities will increase by approximately 20% by 2026. This has particular implications for housing and supported living in the community, and the need to ensure a sustainable housing model in Ireland. While Universal Design particularly addresses the needs of persons with disabilities and older persons, its broader reach across the wider population e.g. families with children, shared homes etc., make sense to adopt this approach to Irish home design.

There are various strategies and policies in place that when fully implemented can help progress access to housing for persons with disabilities in Ireland, particularly as part of mainstream housing developments.

As well as the greater need for social housing, we advise that there should be a greater emphasis on creating liveable and sustainable neighbourhoods, where persons with disabilities can live full and active lives as part of a real community.

Housing policy for persons with disabilities

The UN Convention ratified by Irish Government in 2018 creates a new benchmark for the realisation of the right of persons with disabilities to adequate housing through Article 19 – Living independently and being included in the community. This requires that Ireland delivers on the rights of persons with disabilities to “live in the community with choices equal to others” and to “have the opportunity to choose their place of residence and where and with whom they live”. This is at the heart of the policy of decongregation being progressed by the HSE, but is also relevant to persons with disabilities in the community who wish to move out of the family home for example.

Article 28 of the Convention requires the State to deliver on the right to “adequate housing” and to “ensure access by persons with disabilities to public housing programmes”.

The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has made a number of commitments regarding persons with disabilities under the Social Housing Strategy 2020 and Rebuilding Ireland, in the Department’s Statement of Strategy 2017-2020 and in the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021(NDIS).

The National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011-2016 (National Housing Strategy) has been incorporated into Rebuilding Ireland, and extended to 2020.

The new Programme for Government commits to:

Ensure an appropriate mix of housing design types is provided, including universally designed units, accommodation for older people and people with disabilities

In terms of the social sustainability component, Universal Design has a key role as it helps the full inclusion and participation in family and community life. Social housing tenants and society as a whole will benefit from the development of diverse communities, where people with disabilities are integrated into their local community.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government’s Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2009) stated that:

‘Sustainable design and Universal Design are inextricably linked and Universal Design when incorporated from the early stage of planning integrated neighbourhoods, will reduce the need for costly and wasteful retrofits over the medium to long term’.

They followed this up in 2012 with: Our Sustainable Future, a Framework for Sustainable Development for Ireland, which went on to say:

“Sustainable communities are places where people want to live and work, are environmentally sustainable and contribute to a high quality of life for residents. They are safe and inclusive, well-planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services for all.”

This goal is further reflected in the Government’s National Planning Framework. Under the theme People, Homes and Communities, it states:

“Housing, education, health and transport are four key areas where social inclusion can be improved; for example, through Universal Design of buildings to deliver greater accessibility for all.”

The Government has published the Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan 2018-2020[4] which seeks to mainstream the Goals into national policies and frameworks.

Under Goal 11 (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable) the Government has committed, by 2030, via Rebuilding Ireland, to:

ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing

Under Goal 1(End poverty in all its forms everywhere) the Government has also committed by 2030, via Rebuilding Ireland, to

build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations

A central foundation for reaching these Goals is the provision of affordable and accessible housing that allows the greatest number of persons to be accommodated and have the choice to remain in their communities,

The Plan sets out a vision to:

. . . provide tailored housing supports and State assistance in ensuring access to good quality, safe homes for its residents

The NDA acknowledges the importance of creating liveable and sustainable neighbourhoods, where everyone can live full and active lives as part of a real community. Universal Design contributes to this by providing for the creation and delivery of the communities that are envisaged in this Plan.

Universal Design approach to housing

Finding suitable and appropriate homes that can accommodate changing needs over time can be difficult – whether for families with young children, a person with a temporary or permanent injury, someone with a disability or an older person. Universal Design can meet everyone’s needs through flexible homes designed to adapt to a person’s lifecycle and lifestyle patterns of people over time.

Informed by research, the NDA’s Centre for Excellence in Universal Design has published Universal Design Guidelines for Homes in Ireland[5] which sets out a Universal Design approach to building new homes involving two levels of Universal Design to making a home more accessible, understandable and usable at each stage with a third level for very individual needs that require extra space in the home. The NDA has conducted research and engaged with the relevant professions and other stakeholders to inform the Universal Design Home guidelines, as well as the Dementia Friendly Dwellings for People with Dementia, their Families and Carers guidelines.

The Universal Design Home Guidelines are informed by research of national and international best practice guidance including an extensive consultation process with key stakeholders. Universal Design Homes build upon social and technological advancements in Ireland and internationally. The guidelines are also informed by national policies developed by the former Department of the Environment such as the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011-2016 and the Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities 2007, the Department of Health’s National Positive Ageing Strategy and their National Dementia Strategy 2014.

The following are core features of a Universal Design Home across all three levels[6]. Many of these features will be relevant to all of us, which is the essence of Universal Design:

Providing wider external and internal doors
Providing capped electrical points for future installation of a stair lift, front door illumination, adjacent to internal doors, above and beside window heads and at skirting level (for future automatic devices such as assisted door openings, ceiling hoists and automatic curtain/blind opening)
Inserting sockets at the top and bottom of stairs and including two-way or three-way switching. In addition, ensuring sockets and switching (and window sills) are further than 500mm from an internal corner and are at levels that are within easy reach and view for everyone, should be allowed
Providing cabling which future proofs all dwellings to enable various existing or new technologies to be integrated easily into the home
Considering easy control and use of systems and the capability to integrate smart technology, energy efficiency and security systems or assistive technology
In the entry level toilet, ensuring that it is sufficient for the future installation of a walk-in shower including walls of adequate wall strength to take future fittings. Below floor drainage, level access, moisture resistant plasterboard and light fittings and tanking of floor and walls up to a height of 2000mm will also be necessary.
Locating the main bathroom immediately adjacent to the main bedroom with a “soft spot” for future installation of a door between them. Ensuring that provision is made for future adaptation to a shower room including the features listed for the entry level toilet
In the main bedroom, located beside the bathroom, it is important to provide for “hard spots” in the ceiling to allow for a hoist track to be installed supported by ceiling construction
Providing for fittings like lever door handles and taps that are easier to use for everyone
Providing a beam at ceiling level ground floor as part of the rear wall to allow for future extension in exceptional cases where design layouts cannot incorporate a future downstairs walk-in shower and/or a future room for conversion to bedroom.

Multi-Generational Home design, Westmeath County Council Capital Housing Design Team

Learning from other local authorities

Wexford County Council’s most recent Development Plan 2013-19 promotes Universal Design and Lifetime Housing in accordance with best practice and the policies and principles contained in Building for Everyone: A Universal Design Approach (National Disability Authority, 2012) and Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas: Guidelines for Planning Authorities and its companion document the Urban Design Manual (DEHLG, 2008). They require an Access Statement to be carried out for significant developments in accordance with Appendix 6 of Booklet 9 ‘Planning and policy’ from the NDA’s Buildings for Everyone: A Universal Design Approach[7].

One of their objectives is to ensure that a minimum of 20% of dwellings in all new housing estates of five dwellings or more are suitable to accommodate or are adaptable to provide accommodation for people with disabilities. Developers will be required to show an accessible route to the residential units from the boundary of the property. Proximity and access to local services must also be considered relative to the units which are accessible.

Local authority officials visiting developments in relation to taking them in charge notice elements that are not even conforming to Part M – like level entry – and are pointing these out to developers.

The Access Officer sits in on some of the pre-planning meetings with developers in order to make sure that they are presenting credible designs to meet the 20% minimum. Wexford has held a seminar for developers on a UD approach to building and on the provisions of Part M.

Wexford expects to maintain the 20% minimum in the next version of its Development Plan. Evidence from Wexford suggests that getting the designs right at pre-planning does not mean that a house has to be any bigger than what is understood to be a standard 3-bed semi-detached home of around 100 square metres.

According to evidence from Wexford certain accessible house designs are proving more attractive to prospective buyers and they are prepared to pay up to €5,000 more for an adaptable home because it has a more attractive internal layout and can change to suit their needs as they get older. Some designs now provide space for internal lifts

Designs for various housing types in a new development in north County Dublin, obtained via Fingal County Council, show a range of sizes that are in line with the normal range of 90m2-110m2 that cover a standard 3-bed semi-detached home. They applied the 10 Ways to Construct a More Lifetime Adaptable and Age Friendly Home[8] guidelines that were developed in collaboration with Fingal County Council, Age Friendly Ireland and the NDA’s Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD). These 10 features are based on the Universal Design Home Guidelines developed by the CEUD.

The Homes for Smart Ageing Universal Design Challenge (Action 2.19 of Rebuilding Ireland) was a collaboration between DHPLG and the CEUD under the Smart Ageing Strategy. The winning entry developed an innovative new model to support older homeowners to reconfigure their family-sized homes by creating an independent living area suitable for the older homeowner, eliminating the need to use the stairs; and creating an affordable one‐bedroomed rental accommodation upstairs. Using a Universal Design approach, this promotes an efficient way to use our existing housing stock by carving much needed new one‐bedroomed rental capacity from existing housing stock in mature urban areas, allowing the homeowner to live securely and independently downstairs, whilst promoting interaction with the person living upstairs, thereby reducing isolation. The winning organisation received founding from DHPLG for five additional projects after it completed its pilot project in Clondalkin[9].

To support the above information Appendix B shows a table of comparative sizes for rooms under different design criteria.

Costs associated with Universal Design homes

Figures provided by Clúid (an Approved Housing Body), whilst building Broome Lodge apartments in Cabra, Dublin 7, in 2017, show that their experience of the extra construction cost for building to Universal Design Homes standards was approximately €4,150 (incl. of VAT, On-Costs, finance costs and legal costs) per apartment which equated to a 2.5% uplift. This equated to 2.1% increase in the overall project development costs[10]. As these features and elements become the norm the price differential between a Universal Design home and a standard home should be minimal in the future.

Estimated figures[11], obtained via Fingal County Council, relating to accommodation for older persons including Universal Design features in a new build costing approximately an extra €12,000 compared to the costs of retro-fitting an existing dwelling amounting to an extra €32,000.

Recent work done by the Society for Chartered Surveyors Ireland for the NDA states that although the initial construction costs are higher in UD Homes this does not address the underlying future costs of retrofitting a property. Currently retrofit costs, for social housing, incurred in the Dublin region, are in the order of €2,500 per square metre (higher than new build construction). A standard 3 bed semi-detached property is currently costing between €50,000 and €80,000 to retrofit depending on the user requirements. The age of the occupant requiring the upgrade works (circa 83% are elderly) means the life cycle and time in use can be limited. Once the upgrade works are no longer required the property must then be returned to use as a family home or further adapted to facilitate the needs of the new tenancy. This occurs in circa 92% of retrofit projects and these costs vary from €30,000 to €70,000. Therefore consideration of the long-term retrofit costs must be factored into the decision making process as if a home is universally designed it can facilitate the movement in need over time at substantially lower costs to the Exchequer. The findings from Wexford also indicate that prospective buyers are interested in paying a premium from A UD designed home.

Universal Design and green energy

The NDA’s Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) is engaging with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and the Irish Green Building Council to help publicise the mutual benefits of improving energy ratings and Universal Design. The Irish Green Building Council already reference Universal Design in their Home Performance Index. According to the Council the Index assures the homeowner that:

their homes have been designed and constructed with care to ensure low running costs, enhance occupant wellbeing and minimise environmental impact

and for the developer:

Communicates the quality of their housing to homebuyers
Demonstrates quality of the development to planning authorities, potentially saving time and cost
Provides a 3rd party verified sustainability indicator to investment funds and housing associations
Enables design and construction teams to work more effectively together, setting and achieving quality and sustainability targets
Adds value to their development and investment portfolio

There is an opportunity to encourage adoption and implementation of Universal Design approaches by building it in as a requirement to housing funding programmes including those for adaptations and therefore create more sustainable accommodation for those with changing needs as they age. There is a need to ensure that people can stay in their own homes thus reducing the need for costly adaptations later.

Clúid Housing constructed 43 one and two bedroom apartments at Broome Lodge. It houses 51 older persons and is designed to keep pace with residents’ changing needs. The entire complex runs on an energy efficient heating system and the BER of each apartment is A3. Combined with an affordable rent, this helps combat fuel poverty and supports residents to minimise their living costs.

Benefits of Universal Design

The NDA advises that the CEUD's Universal Design guidelines, should become the minimum standard for new social housing build projects. Housing should be designed from the outset to meet the changing and developing needs of the broad population over their lifetime. This will reduce the need for expensive retrofitting to accommodate individuals. This approach would have a number of significant benefits:

New social housing units will be available to and usable by everybody, regardless of their age, size, ability and disability. This will ensure that more people can be housed in the community, and can remain in their regular housing should they acquire a disability (be that temporary or permanent), or as needs develop through ageing.
Over time, the quality of the national housing stock will improve, and more housing units will be available and accessible to more people regardless of age, size, ability or disability. This benefit will impact social housing, and indeed private housing stock as a proportion of social housing units are bought out by tenants.
Costs of adaptations, such as the Housing Adaptation Grants scheme, will reduce over time, as fewer units will require adaptation or retro-fitting to be usable by all people
More elderly people will be able to ‘age in place’ and will avoid the need for nursing home or other residential placements.

Universal Design Homes and Covid-19

A Universal Design approach to planning can allow us to create supportive, multi-generational communities that provide the supports required across all age groups that will be required if Covid-19 remains part of our lives. Even if a vaccine is found, and is successful, these types of communities have advantages that will outlast the current pandemic. These communities provide the natural community supports that lessen the chances of isolation. This kind of community would allow those who need to cocoon to do so but with support networks nearby. This would ease the burden on first responders and other public services. It would also mean that people who would ordinarily be placed in a congregated setting, like a nursing home, would be able to remain in their home for longer, thus reducing any potential exposure to Covid-19.

UD Homes could have adaptable home offices or work stations designed in from the start that could be adapted for other uses once the pandemic threat of Covid-19 recedes. Conclusion

The National Disability Authority believes that following a Universal Design approach to the planning, design and construction of new homes offers a flexible, adaptable, sustainable and energy efficient solution to mitigating the societal impact of Covid-19. UD Homes are not just for person with disabilities

The new Programme for Government sets out two important commitments on housing:

Increase the social housing stock by over 50,000 over the next five-years, the majority of which are to be built by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and State agencies.
Ensure an appropriate mix of housing design types is provided, including universally designed units, accommodation for older people and people with disabilities.

The UD Home environment enables the widest possible number of people to participate at home, in society, and to live independently. For a housing provider, builder or developer a UD Home provides a competitive advantage as the home offers a more attractive market proposition for the widest range of potential residents. UD Homes are about good design, efficiency and a broader market need. Above all they are mainstream in aesthetics, not separate or distinct.

UD Homes are wired to cater for the provision of assistive technology to allow people to live independently. A UD Home can adapt to the changing needs of a resident once programmed to sense any changes in movement or physiology so that assistance can be activated if and when needed. This infrastructure could also allow for the provision of telehealth/telecare services that would be useful for a person’s physical and mental well-being.

UD Homes cater for the maximisation of natural light. Reducing reliance on artificial light and allowing people to orientate themselves in the neighbourhood, and appreciate the time of day or night are important for maintaining good mental health.

[1] https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/ea33c1-housing-options-for-our-ageing-population-policy-statement/

[2] http://nda.ie/Publications/Environment-Housing/Housing-Publications/Social-Housing-and-People-with-Mental-Health-Difficulties/#:~:text=Social%20Housing%20Supports,also%20more%20vulnerable%20to%20homelessness.

[3] http://nda.ie/Publications/Disability-Supports/Autism/National-Disability-Authority-autism-guidance-for-local-authority-housing-officers-justice-professionals-and-line-managers-HR-professionals.html

[4] https://www.dccae.gov.ie/documents/DCCAE-National-Implement-Plan.pdf

[5] http://universaldesign.ie/Built-Environment/Housing/

[6] Order of Magnitude Costs No.1 for Fingal County Council, Lawlor Burns & Associates

Chartered Quantity Surveyors

[7] http://universaldesign.ie/Built-Environment/Building-for-Everyone/

[8] https://www.fingal.ie/sites/default/files/2019-04/10_ways_to_create_adaptable_and_age_friendly_home_march_2019.pdf

[9] https://www.avahousing.ie/

[10] Figure obtained from Clúid, via the Housing Agency

[11] Order of Magnitude Costs No.1 for Fingal County Council, Lawlor Burns & Associates

Chartered Quantity Surveyors

South Dublin County Development Plan 2022 -2028 Strategic Issues Consultation Booklet - Submissions

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