Experiences of people with disability living in permanent supportive housing in the context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme

Abstract

People with disabilities are more likely to be homeless than the general population and experience additional barriers to accessing housing. Despite this, there is limited research exploring the intersection of homelessness and disability, or the impact of responses such as permanent supportive housing (PSH) from the perspective of people with disabilities. This paper reports on research that explored the experiences of tenants with disabilities in a single site mixed tenancy PSH setting and the extent to which the housing and supports they received addressed psychosocial, welfare and health needs. The research also explored experiences of accessing Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as well as other community supports designed to promote inclusion. We found benefits included a sense of stability and ‘home’ whilst challenges related to the limits of congregate housing for this tenant cohort and workforce capacity to manage significant complexity and competing needs. The findings highlight the need for trauma-informed practices and design, and commitment to workforce development and capacity consistent with tenant needs. We also identified significant challenges and barriers at the interface with the NDIS and other funded services with implications for more assertive in reach education, support and planning to promote community participation.