Trust helps families into homes

The Whangarei Accessible Housing Trust now has eight houses and provides accommodation to eight families/individuals that would not otherwise be able to access housing to live independently in the community.

The Whangarei Accessible Housing Trust aims to provide sustainable housing options for disabled people and their families.

Its mission is to raise funds and provide a framework and mechanisms for the delivery of accessible, affordable, sustainable, quality housing for disabled people and whanau. We will do this in partnership with disabled people and other key stakeholders from the community, public and private sectors.

Having a place to call home is denied to many people. Significant research has gone into investigating and remedying critical housing issues people face, with some positive outcomes resulting in terms of local housing initiatives. However, within the wider community of people affected by housing issues there is a group of people even further marginalised by lack of housing options – disabled people. 

The Whangarei Accessible Housing Trust strongly believes that disabled people should have the same right as others to live and be supported in a home of their own.

We held community forums to discuss housing issues in the disability community. Disabled people told us what they wanted:

• “homes that are not built so people know that a disabled person lives there”
• “two bedrooms so I can have visitors”
• “to live with a flatmate – some one who would talk to me; I don’t want to be beholden to someone in residential respite home”
• “to be part of the community”
• “the same housing choices able-bodied people have: to choose a bath or shower, a spa, a double bed…”

Barriers to disabled people acquiring their own homes include:

• Attitudes of society, providers and families who often hold the view that disabled people need to be protected and kept safe, and are not capable of living independently
• Lack of affordability – disabled people are disproportionately represented amongst the unemployed, often due to inability to access to education. If educated, they are often limited by the attitudes of employers
• Lack of accessible houses – the New Zealand housing stock has a limited supply of accessible houses. Housing New Zealand, in supporting the Whangarei Accessible Housing Trust has recognised the need in our area.
• Disabled people not feeling they can aspire to having and looking after their own home. We aim to change such attitudes.

For all New Zealanders housing:

• provides shelter, warmth, security, safety
• is the place where we can care for ourselves and our families/whanau, relax, have friends over, have privacy
• Provides an asset base – housing is the basis of the wealth of many New Zealanders.  Having wealth/economic base = having choices
• Enhances our independence.

Independent housing has historically been denied for disabled people:

• Heavy emphasis on institutions for all disabled people (whether physical, intellectual, visual and deaf impairments)
• Therefore disabled people were placed outside communities – separation/segregation
• In recent times emphasis has been more on community living– a shift from institutional care to community residential living, but provided by providers or families
• Many disabled people have to live, and/or are sheltered by their families. They are unable to leave home, self actualise.  Are kept in a child-like, dependent state (unable to develop through the child-adolescent-adult phases of life).

Government and support agencies must be committed to addressing the human rights challenges these barriers posed. With the introduction of the New Zealand Disability Strategy in 2001 the rights of disabled people are clearly articulated and objectives in this document provide a foundation for our housing initiatives:

Objective 5.  - Strengthen the leadership of disabled people
Objective 6.  - Support disabled people to have a good life in the community and to have the opportunity to live in their own homes
Objective 11. - Promote the involvement of disabled Maori so their culture is understood and recognised

The Whangarei Accessible Housing Trust aims to continue to build partnerships and work to increase the accessible housing stock in our community so that all disabled people are able to make the same choices as other people as to where they live, and with whom.

For further information or to contact the Trust, please contact Auriole Ruka or Barry Moore:
Phone: 09-437 1889
Mbl: 027 293 0774
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Postal: Whangarei Accessible Housing Trust, PO Box 8035, Kensington, Whangarei 0145