Head of Casework Services, Olivia Lindsay, writes for Inside Housing
With 2022 marking the 25th Anniversary of Housing Options Scotland, it seems a natural time to reflect upon the ways the organisation has evolved to support disabled and older people across Scotland.
Studies have consistently marked moving house as one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. This is particularly the case for disabled people. There is a chronic lack of affordable and accessible housing in Scotland across all tenures, and housing systems are notoriously hard to navigate. Often disabled people have to wait much longer than average to find a home that is suited to their needs, which can contribute to the worsening of existing health conditions, and negatively impact mental health. Housing Options Scotland was set up to support disabled people to overcome the many barriers that are faced during the search for accessible housing.
Back in 1997 when the organisation was first founded it was named Ownership Options Scotland. The focus was entirely on providing disabled people with information to help them access home ownership. However, after the market crash in 2008 which brought about stricter lending criteria making it more difficult to obtain mortgages across the board, it was clear that the organisation needed to expand its service to provide advice and information on a much greater range of options. It was essential to adapt the service in line with the changes in the Scottish housing system and better support disabled people in the post-crash landscape. Thus, Housing Options Scotland was born. This change in approach brought about a more individualised service, where housing information was tailored specifically to the needs and circumstances of each client. This is something which we have strived to build upon ever since.
Our commitment to being a person-centred organisation is demonstrated by the services which we deliver today. In the past 6 years alone, we have seen a 91% increase in demand for our service, supporting over 700 new applicants per year. We feel very strongly that this increase in numbers demonstrates the fact that disabled people are struggling more than ever to find the accessible housing they need. As a result, we developed four distinct services designed to support the unique client groups we work with.
Right Home Right Place is our original service, upon which all other services are built. We offer a highly bespoke one-to-one service to all disabled people and older people and their families, offering free and impartial information, advice, and support for as long as it is required. We can assist with all types of housing options, from social housing, private renting, ownership (including assisted buying schemes), and adaptation, understanding that each disabled person’s situation is unique, and will have its own unique solution.
Our Military Matters service operates using the same principles but additionally offers information and advice that is only available to members of the Armed Forces Community. Mental and physical injuries from service, difficulty with transitioning into civilian life, and leaving the Forces unexpectedly can all contribute to a complex housing situation with no immediately obvious solution. Being aware of the distinctive challenges that members of the Armed Forces Community is paramount to being able to help them effectively.
Homeless Housing Options aims to change the perception of homelessness and highlight hidden homelessness amongst our client groups. Homelessness does not just mean rooflessness. In fact, only a very small proportion of our homeless clients are classed as rough sleepers. Early intervention is at the heart of this service and is essential in ensuring our clients receive support before finding themselves at crisis point.
Finally, Making Moves is out latest service that has been designed to cater for the needs of those who are exploring Independent Living. This service was born out the experiences of our clients who felt frustration at not being able to plan for a move to Independent Living. Often disabled people who live with their parents or other guardian have no priority for social housing as they are seen as suitably housed, resulting in some disabled people living with their parents well into adulthood. We support every disabled person’s wish to live independently and can provide bespoke planning options and information guides to inform the process.
In addition to our advice service, we have been dedicated to developing our volunteer programme. We now have upwards of 20 volunteers based across Scotland. Our volunteers have a wealth and variety of experience – retired housing professionals, current housing students, other students, people with different professional experience outside of housing, people with lived experience of issues clients face. Volunteering is designed around the client journey and intended to provide an extra level of assistance and peer support to the clients who need it.
For Housing Options Scotland stagnation is not an option. More people than ever before need our help, and this is likely to remain the case until there is drastic systemic change across the housing sector. We are grateful to our core funders, The Scottish Government and Veterans’ Foundation, for enabling us to remain committed to responding to the needs of our clients and helping them to find the right home, in the right place.