How the National Disability Insurance Scheme is going to change housing options for people with disabilities in Queensland.
This is the focus of the seventh Griffith University-led NDIS Symposium where people with disabilities, their families and carers, service providers, government personnel, academics and disability researchers, will come together to share knowledge and experiences around the core elements of the NDIS.
From July this year, the NDIS scheme — a generational reform which aims to deliver a national system of disability support-focussed on the individual needs of people with disability — will be progressively rolled out in Queensland with completion by July 2019.
The event on February 15 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, follows the success of the university’s last symposium in November and is themed ‘Housing for people with disability: a place to call home.’
Amongst the speakers is Mr Ilan Wiesel, from the University of New South Wales who will be discussing his research paper ‘Moving to my home: housing aspirations, transitions and outcomes of people with disability’.
“By providing individualised support funding, the NDIS is likely to trigger movement of people with disability out of institutions andcongregate accommodation, out oftheir parents’ home, out ofgroup homes and out ofhomelessness,” he says.
“People with disability will require housing that is affordable, secure,accessible or adaptable, close to family and social networks, close to public transport and services.
“There will also bean estimated unmet need in affordable housing for about 110,000 NDIS participants when the scheme is fully rolled out nationally.
“The NDIS will fund specialisthousing for only about 6 per cent of its participants, therefore other sources of funding will be necessary to addressunmet housingneed for many others.
“While there is capacity in the social housing system to accommodate some of these (thanks to tenancy turnover), over-concentration of people with disability in social housing can be very problematic.
Shared equity
“ ‘Shared equity’ would be a useful housingmodel -more cost effective for government compared tosocial housing; and offering choice, security, capital gains and a sense of ownership for people with disability. This model willbe suitablefor people whoare able to contribute part of the cost of purchasing a home (e.g. 25-50%), for example with assistance from their families.”
“The symposium has been a sell-out which is an indication of the real interest in this issue for people with disabilities,” says Dr Marg Ward from Griffith’s School of Human Services and Social Work.
“Griffith is very keen to work in conjunction with the State Government to develop housing strategies that work well for this group, and in turn Griffith is very grateful for the support that the State government is providing in support of this event.”
For the full list of speakers at the Symposium please click here: http://events.griffith.edu.au/d/mfq99k
What: The Griffith University NDIS symposium.
When: February 15, 8.30am-4.30pm
Where: Plaza level, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank (enter from Grey Street, South Brisbane).