What effect does housing assistance have on social inclusion for people with disabilities?

The project involved 98 face-to-face interviews with persons with a disability in NSW, SA and Vic; focus groups with service providers; and interviews with social housing providers. The research found that housing assistance has a very substantial impact on the social inclusion of persons with a disability in Australia. Housing assistance: Provides stability in the lives of persons living with a disability who would otherwise be vulnerable to a range of negative circumstances and who may otherwise have no sense of control over their lives. Improves resilience and independence by helping people with a disability deal with crises in their lives in relation to health, family relationships, monetary concerns etc.Reduces exposure to very high housing costs and the risk of eviction–thereby reducing vulnerability to homelessness.Improves employability in paid employment which has social inclusion benefits both for the individual and broader society.Provides opportunities for being heard so that people with disabilities find a voice within their community, which in turn enables engagement with wider social institutions. Governments can improve social inclusion for persons with a disability by: Providing more social housing and targeting it to this vulnerable group. Avoiding concentrating persons with a disability in particular neighbourhoods. Ensuring housing is appropriate to the needs of the person with a disability and their household through modifications and providing on-going maintenance. Providing accommodation in places with good access to public transport in order to facilitate access to both services and employment. Facilitating training and community development through housing assistance programs.Providing private rental support programs such as that offered by Karingal in Geelong