Houses for People with Disabilities 1 Background To

Houses for People with Disabilities 1. Background • To ensure that persons with certain disabilities are awarded the opportunity to live independently in subsidy financed houses, the National Housing Policy was adjusted in 1999 to provide for special enhancements to the subsidy houses of Persons with disabilities.

Houses for People with Disabilities 2. Policy changes effected: • The following needs were taken into account: – – – Persons with walking aids; Persons with partial usage of wheel chair; Full time usage of wheelchair; Partially/profound deaf; Partially/ totally blind; Partially/ totally movement loss/ paralysis in upper body limbs

Houses for People with Disabilities • Policy changes effected: • The following enhancements are available depending on nature of disability: – Access to house via 12 m 2 paving and a ramp; – Kick plates to doors; – Hand grab rails; – Lever action taps; – 1 m vinyl folding door for bathroom; – increase of bathroom size (at expense of other rooms)

Houses for People with Disabilities • Policy changes effected: – Visual door bell indicator; – Slip resistant floor finishing; – Colour contrast on doorways, stairs corners and skirting walls; • A system of categories apply and upon certification of disability by medical practitioner, the MEC approves an increase in the subsidy amount to finance the additions/ enhancements to the specific house.

Houses for People with Disabilities • The policy on the enhancements to the dwellings applies to new planned dwellings as well as existing dwellings; • A subsidy beneficiary may thus apply for the additional subsidy funding in the case where he/her or his/her family member become disabled, whether or not a previous subsidy was awarded.

Houses for People with Disabilities • Funding availability: • R 12 073, 00 is made available for improvements to a house for a person with wheelchair dependency; and • R 4 091, 00 for a visible door bell indicator;

Houses for People with Disabilities • Current developments • The department is aware of complaints regarding the size of the dwelling and especially the bathroom; • We have appointed a consortium of experts to design and cost various housing products, including a bigger house for persons with wheelchair dependencies;

Houses for People with Disabilities • Current developments • The final results of the costing project is expected at the end of October 2012 and in terms of planning, proposals will be submitted to Human Settlements MINMEC in November 2012

Houses for People with Disabilities • Funding arrangements • The annual Human Settlements Development Grant allocation is fully allocated to the nine provincial governments in terms of an approved allocation formula. • The provinces, in collaboration with the municipalities, are responsible to reserve funding for the various national housing programmes; • Funding for the enhancement of houses for Persons with disabilities are not separately budgeted; • Funding for the enhancement of houses for Persons with disabilities are determined upfront per project based, on socio-economic surveys and/or the needs registers; • The policy only allows for an individual beneficiary approach;

Houses for People with Disabilities • Funding arrangements • It is not economically viable to enhance a predetermined number of houses per housing project; • The fiscus only allows for a confirmed individual case approach. (Socio-economic surveys and needs establishment must be accurate); • As indicated, when circumstances change in a household the family can re-apply for the additional funds to improve the dwelling.

Houses for People with Disabilities • A total of 1413 people with disabilities have been provided with houses in all provinces, at an additional cost of R 17, 506 681 for enhancements as at 31 July 2012 • The nature of disability is mainly walking – 54. 64% of the beneficiaries received walking aid – 37. 58% were allocated wheel chair for full time usage, and – 7. 78% were allocated wheel chairs for part time usage

Houses for People with Disabilities Province Nature of disability Number of Beneficiaries Eastern Cape Walking 64 R 633, 452 Free State Walking 151 R 1, 694, 532 Gauteng Province Walking 79 R 383, 671 Kwa-Zulu Natal Walking 100 R 346, 949 Limpopo Walking 20 R 71, 131 MPumalanga Walking 349 R 3, 482, 746 Northern Cape Walking 265 R 1, 641, 018 North West Walking 8 R 20, 481 Western Cape Walking 377 R 9, 232, 701 1, 413 R 17, 506, 681 Grand Total Additional Disability Amount Paid

Houses for People with Disabilities • The Department is in the process of developing a strategy on the empowerment and participation of people with disabilities in Human Settlements delivery value chain • Further, establishing Human Settlements Sector Disability Fora throughout the Provinces

Houses for People with Disabilities Awareness • Social Facilitation conducted during House-build Projects to create awareness and identify needs; – Community and household profiling enables the Department to tease out disability issues; – Co-ordinate and facilitate the acquisition of assistive devises with the involvement of relevant Departments (e. g. Social Development & Health)

Houses for People with Disabilities Partnership with Departments • The Department participates in the Interdepartmental Committee on Persons with Disabilities convened by Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities • Collaboration with relevant sister Departments ; Provincial Departments of Human Settlements; Local Municipalities on addressing disability issues.

Conclusion • Depending on the findings of the current design and costing project, a new house typology for disabled beneficiaries may apply with effect from 01 April 2013.

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