New research by University of Otago (Wellington) public health research fellow Dr Chang Yu said the study included 65,000 people in emergency housing — 6800 of them with disabilities — from 2016 to 2022.
Based on data from Stats New Zealand’s integrated data infrastructure, and information from the 2018 census and Inland Revenue, it was found that people with disabilities stayed in emergency housing 6% more often, and for 5% longer, compared with those without disabilities.
He said they were being forced into emergency housing more often because they were unable to find, or afford, private rentals suited to their needs.
‘‘Those with mobility issues often have specific requirements for the physical design and layout of a property, such as ramp access, wide hallways or handrails, which means there is a much smaller pool of rental housing to choose from.’’
He said those with disabilities living in emergency housing were also on significantly lower incomes than the overall emergency housing population, making their search for housing even more difficult.
‘‘Their average income was $22,519 a year, including social benefits — significantly lower than the overall emergency housing population’s average income of $28,193.
‘‘Given the average rental property in New Zealand costs $29,000 a year, it’s clear that people with disabilities are being priced out of most of the rental market.’’
People in the study were regarded as disabled if they had disabilities in vision, hearing, mobility, cognition, self-care or communication.
Emergency housing special needs grants were introduced by the Ministry of Social Development in 2016 to fund emergency accommodation, typically in motels, for no more than seven days, he said.
‘‘Even though it was intended to be only for brief stays, families and individuals have been living in emergency housing for three to six months on average — and sometimes up to three years — without basic tenancy rights and in lodgings ill-suited to long stays.’’
Dr Yu said Crown agency Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities had committed to ensuring at least 15% of its new public housing met universal design standards for accessibility.
‘‘But setting an example through state housing will not address the lack of appropriate housing for people with disabilities, given public housing makes up only 4% of the overall housing stock in New Zealand.
‘‘There is no mandate for private landlords and developers to build homes that meet universal or other disability-friendly design standards.’’
He said the government needed to introduce rent price regulation and find ways to increase the supply of accessible public and private housing to ensure people were not stuck in emergency accommodation unsuited to their needs.
‘‘This is the bare minimum needed to ensure New Zealand is a place where those with disabilities have equal opportunities to achieve their goals and aspirations,’’ he said.
- Are you a person with disabilities who is finding it difficult to get a suitable rental property? Contact: john.lewis@odt.co.nz
