Research and Policy
Housing Needs - 2006
Research to determine housing needs for people with disabilities in the Bay of Plenty/Lakes region.
In early 2006 Housing New Zealand Corporation, Lakes and Bay of Plenty district health boards and the Tauranga Community Housing Trust commissioned research to determine housing needs for people with disabilities in the Bay of Plenty/Lakes region.
The research showed:
- there is strong evidence of current unmet housing needs in the target area
- there is limited knowledge of the support available, in particular of Housing New Zealand's Suitable Homes Service
- demographic data suggests the extent of unmet housing need will increase significantly in the Bay of Plenty region
- for Maori, whanau links are important when caring for kaumatua and providing housing on multiply-owned land compounds housing complexity for Maori.
The key recommendations include:
- improve access to information for people with disabilities and coordination between agencies to meet individuals needs and provide funding
- develop and maintain a single database of organisations working with people with disabilities and public sector housing for people with disabilities
- consider adopting a Community Land Trust model to help address problems of housing affordability for people with disabilities
- existing kaumatua housing is reviewed with a view to updating it so it is suitable for older people with disabilities.
