New housing for disabled people agreed

To meet the increasing need for specialist housing for disabled adults or adults with learning disabilities in the community, senior Councillors have agreed to build approximately 14 new homes in Acomb.

The one-bedroomed apartments with communal areas and support facilities will be built on one of the two undeveloped plots on the popular Lowfield Green development.

This follows a review of accommodation for adults with learning disabilities in the city. It found a decline in supported accommodation and providers since 2018, meaning more residents have to be given out-of-area placements which are disruptive to them and more costly for the council. The review also estimates that the number of adults eligible for supported living will grow from 427 in 2024, to 487 in 2039.

To develop this much-needed specialised accommodation, grant funding will be used to draw up detailed plans in conjunction with residents and a full business will be brought to the Executive for approval. Executive will also be asked to approve using the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Brownfield Housing Fund to support the building of this new housing.

Cllr Lucy Steels-Walshaw, Executive Member for Adult Social Care at City of York Council, said:

“Supported housing offers an alternative for existing care solutions for disabled people and control over the support they get, who they live with and the decisions they make about their lives. To deliver this, good quality housing is key as it provides a safe, stable and supportive place in which better outcomes can be unlocked.

“These outcomes can challenge poverty and inequalities, in managing health crises or maintaining independence while also helping to reduce hospital readmissions or going into long-term residential and nursing care. This results in a better quality of life for residents, the community and supports the effective use of the city’s resources.”

Cllr Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing at City of York Council said:

“Increasing high quality specialist housing provision is essential for promoting independence and improving outcomes for residents, whilst meeting current and future housing need. Just as Lowfield Green was the first step of our Housing Delivery Programme, this proposal is the first step on our new model of accommodation which will give us greater control of specialist housing provision.

“Lowfield Green is therefore an excellent location with its inclusive and welcoming mixed tenure community which brings generations together with apartments for over 55s, fully-accessible bungalows and family houses.”

The full report can be read here and a webcast of the meeting on Thursday 12 September can be watched here.